Intolerable Inclination
by NCISprobie
Summary: Rogue is fighting her dark impulses while also trying to battle her mutation alone, which is causing her to become what she hated most. Note: After Ascension, and Magneto is an instructor.
1. Head of Temptation

**Note: After Ascension, Scott and Jean graduated and Magneto is the reformed teacher for the New Mutants.**

**Summary: Rogue is fighting her dark impulses while also trying to battle her mutation alone, which is causing her to become what she hated most.**

* * *

**_'Touch him.'_**

"Rogue look out!" Cyclops hollered as an optic beam of red energy wavered past her and hit the sentinel's hand, preventing it from shooting her.

Rogue shook her head forcefully in an attempt to snap herself back to earth as she moved to avoid being hit by the robot. Chaos ensured all around her as a burning car soared through the air, Nightcrawler grabbed hold of Shadowcat and teleported out of there before the car landed.

It looked as though they were fighting in a junkyard, that had recently had a visit from Pyro. Sentinels continued to shoot at the X men, even though they looked more like they were shooting in every direction to purposely hit vehicles to bury the X men.

Other flying debris were sprayed everywhere as the New Mutants ran for cover. Iceman created an ice dome to protect his teammates. He grinned triumphantly as the others cheered him on. But the fame was short lived. A flaming ball of rock hit the ice dome, burying most of the new mutants, and Iceman, who probably wasn't grinning anymore.

Bamf.

Nightcrawler had teleported him and Shadowcat on top of the giant sentinel. Where Shadowcat phased through it's head. She came out of his leg a few seconds later.

"Run for it!" Shadowcat yelled as the sentinel started to shake and then... Boom! Rogue covered her face to keep from getting hit by the debris.

"Computer end simulation!" Magneto called.

The environmental changed quickly for raging chaos to a large metal training room.

_'Speak of the _'reformed_' devil himself.' _Rogue thought to herself as he floated down in his usual red and purple armor, and happened to be helmet less. That had been quite a shock to Rogue when he first started to teach at the Institute, he gave up his helmet, but still wore his armor during battle simulations.

"The majority of you did well, though there is room for improvement." He stopped to give many of the new mutants a knowing look. One of those, your not as trained as the other's look.

The new mutants looked at each other and sighed. _'Jeez can he ever give them a break?'_ Rogue thought as he looked over at the rest of the mutants. Magneto wasn't exactly the easiest teacher at the institute.

"Class dismissed." Those seemed to be the only encouragement the younger mutant's needed as they all quickly filed out to go fight over the bathrooms, as usual.

The senior X men always seemed to be the last to leave. "Rogue could I see you for a moment?" Damn the devil.

Rogue sighed as she turned around, and to think she had almost made it to the door.

She approached the white haired man and tried her best not to glare.

**_'Touch him.'_** A voice hissed in her head. Rogue chose to ignore it as always.

"Yes Magneto?" Rogue asked as she stared into his eyes, which looked like a mirror version of hers, deep dark green.

"I have noticed lately that you've been rather distracted, today it almost caused and accident."

_'Well ok, what am I supposed to say to that?'_ "Ahhh...yeah won't happen again, I've just been really stressed lately due to school." Nice one Rogue. Both of those facts were actually lies but it's not like she had any intention of telling anyone her secrets anytime soon.

Magneto gave her a curious look, as though he were trying to tell if she was lying. But he accepted her answer even if he had doubts.

"See that it doesn't."

And with that she was dismissed. She made her way to the elevator, then to her room, before entering her bathroom. Slowly she adjusted the dial to cool water.

Cold water always succeed in making her feel numb, which was what she desperately need.

_'They don't know how lucky they are.' _Rogue thought as she lathered a bar of soap up. Mutations were a gift, that much was true, and every day Rogue watched kids use the're gifts.

_'None of them realize it, but it's their addiction.' _That was also the truth. How would they feel if they were stripped of it? Kurt used his teleporting on a daily basis, and Rogue knew from Magneto's memories what metal felt like to him. Like it was singing to him, calling to him, it even soothed him. To be stripped of that, he'd be in agony.

Kitty, though she resented her gift at first, now had come to love it, she too used it on a daily basis, whether it was just to phase her hand through her locker or the fridge, or even through a robot in the danger room.

_'I want to feel that so badly.' _One of her darkest secrets. _'Because using it feels good, feels like it's apart of me.' _She thought as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel and reached for the hair brush.

_'Each time I use it, it only feels better.'_ Rogue finished brushing her hair and started to put her pajamas on.

_'Of course that can never happen, my gift hurts others, Professor X doesn't even wanting me using it.'_ She sighed as she crawled into bed. _'Is it even a gift?' _She asked herself._ 'It feels good, but it hurts people, it causes me to wear all these clothes, I can never be close to someone.'_

_'No.' _She decided firmly. It was no gift. Other people have gifts. _'I have a curse.'_ How true that was. She had been denied _everything. _Her ability to get close to someone, her mutation,(never being able to use it) her comfort(honestly wearing long sleeves kills you in summer).

_'What I would give to feel a hand on my face, even a gloved one, or someone pat me on the back, god I would_ die_ for a hug!' _Rogue chuckled to herself. _'God I am _pathetic._'_

The others didn't have any idea how hard it was to restrain herself. _'I want to absorb them so badly, I want to touch so badly. But I can't, not when I have their trust.'_

_'At first it was easy, but now, how is it I want to touch and absorb someone at the same time?'_

She laid in her bed silently wishing for sleep. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. She sighed loudly as she got up._ 'What now?'_ She asked.

Kitty was waiting on the other side. "Hey Rogue, you coming to dinner?"

She gave Kitty a fake smile. "Nahh, I'm not really feeling well." She didn't even have to think about that lie, it just came out.

Truthfully, she was avoiding two telepaths. It wasn't always easy to hide your thoughts from them, the easiest solution was always to avoid them as much as possible.

She didn't need the professor knowing how badly she wanted to touch people, not only for physical contact, but to absorb them.

Kitty's face was etched with worry. "It's nothing like, serious, is it?" She asked. Her worry almost made Rogue feel bad about lying...almost.

"No, I just need some sleep. Thanks Kitty."

Rogue watched the happy girl walk down the hall and sigh._ 'I wonder if she knows how lucky she is.'_ Rogue though pleasantly to herself before settling back down in bed.

* * *

"Talk about freaks." Theresa said loudly as she passed Rogue and her gang. "Cheerleader slut." Rogue muttered to her friends.

"Talk about it." Kitty agreed. "I mean, like, I don't, like, _don't_ want to be gossip, but she's slept with half the football team. A couple of the guys wound up in a fight over it last week."

"Poor suckers." Rogue said. Kurt and Kitty nodded before stopping to show the new mutant freshmen around. Rogue stared for a minute._ 'I'm the oldest of the group.'_ She realized.

Some of the kids were freshmen, others like Amara, Roberto, Jubilee, Bobby, and Rahne were sophomores.

"Remember guys no mutant abilities, Kelly's bound to be on a warpath due to the fact that he lost the election." Rogue gently reminded them.

Some of the younger mutants started to giggle. "Yeah, thank god he lost that election, if he had it his way we wouldn't even be here." Amara said.

"Yes, and lets not give him or anyone else a reason to go gunnin' for us." Rogue said. Bobby laughed loudly. "When'd you become Scott's successor?"

A few off the mutants cracked a smile at that. Rogue fixed them with a stern look. "Guy's I'm NOT kidding. I didn't want to worry anyone, but there's been an awful lot of talk lately about sentinels...coming to the school."

The others fell silent. "Look it's ok guys, we won't let anything happen to you, just save the goofing off for when we get back home ok?"

The mutants nodded. "Just stick together." Rogue told them as she spotted Principal Kelly coming down the hall.

"Well, well, well." Kelly stopped when he reached the group. "Two gone, another out the door this year." He gave Rogue a cruel smile. "Miss Darkhölme, it's your senior year isn't it?" He asked.

_'As if the jackass didn't already know.'_ Rogue thought as she nodded. "Yes sir." She responded respectfully. _'Now there's a guy who really deserves to have my curse used on him.' _The urge was_ very_ tempting.

**_'It would feel_ good.'** The dark voice in her head whispered.

There was no use denying that Rogue would get to use her mutation, and as a bonus she would get to put a jackass flat on his back.

**_'Do_ it.'** The voice encouraged. Rogue swallowed hard as she closed her eyes. _'Control, control, ignore the fact that he deserves it.'_ The rational part of her mind was fading. **_'It would feel good, and the mutant's hate him so much they would never say anything. YES!'_**

_'No.'_ Rogue firmly thought. _'Your friends, your teammates, your family, what would they think?'_

Rogue slowly opened her eyes.

"I have to get to class." She hurried past him as the other mutants scrambled out of Kelly's way.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think! I'm trying to be a better writer and any advice, comments, or input would be appreciated.**


	2. New Leader

"Mutie...Freak...I hope the sentinels get you!"

The X kids seemed to be getting insults left and right throughout the day. "Man I am so ready to run away from this place and never come back." Kitty said with a sigh.

"Yeah, it's even worse than last year." Rogue agreed. "But hey, at least I get to look forward to driving us back to the institute!" Kitty exclaimed happily. Rogue stopped for a moment to stare at her best friend.

_'I hope Kurt gets to the car before we do.'_ Rogue thought as she continued to walk with Kitty. "I _suppose_ we should count ourselves lucky there wasn't a whole lot of mutant bashing at Principal Kelly's little welcome back assembly."

"Defiantly, for a minute there I- KURT!" Kitty abruptly stopped talking with Rogue to glare fiercely at her friend, who happened to be sitting in her favorite seat.

"I was going to drive us home!" Kitty wined loudly. "Whew, thank the lord for Kurt." Bobby mumbled as he walked past the two girls and climbed into the van.

Kitty stopped glaring at Kurt to start sending death glares to Bobby. "I hate Bobby Drake!" Kitty said loudly, causing Rogue to grin. "You and the rest of the world." Rogue said while shaking her head. "Com'on lets just get back to the institute."

Kitty sighed but followed Rogue's example and climbed into the van. "Out of the front seat Drake!" Rogue told him with her best stern look. "If Kitty can't drive, she's going to have shot-gun."

"What?" Bobby asked surprised. "I'm afraid she's right my friend, sorry." Kurt backed Rogue up while giving Bobby a pat on the back.

Bobby sighed in defeat before wisely getting into the back seat, because like the rest of the X-Kids nobody wants a ticked off Kitty. Not that Kitty was devious or anything, but last time they'd got Kitty mad she'd suddenly wound up with dinner duty the next day...which had probably been the work of one very devious Tabitha, who had recently re-joined the X men.

Needless to say after that incident Kitty never got dinner duty again, and the Xavier Institute was now stocked up on stomach related medicine.

The drive back was about as pleasant as could be, with a bunch of students whining about school. By the time they finally reached the institute most kids didn't even wait for Kurt to put the van in before hopping out and joining the other students using their mutations in the yard.

_'Well at least they waited until they got back.'_ Rogue thought before moving to sit under an oak tree, away from the others. **_'That should be _you_.' _**The dark voice whispered.

Rogue sighed as she took out her homework. _'Don't focus on that.'_Rogue reminded herself. _'Just focus on that French essay.'_ She thought calmly. The french essay that had only been handed to mutant students.

* * *

PANG!

Rogue sighed loudly as she looked up from her work to see a ball of ice hit the angel statue fountain at the front of the institute. Rolling her eyes she picked up her things, deciding she'd done enough for one day.

She been very glad she wasn't hit with anything on her way to the institute doors._ "Rogue could you join us in my office please?"_ The professor asked her telepathically.

_"Sure thing professor."_ Rogue answered as she altered her course and headed toward his office. The door was open and inside was Professor X behind his desk, Magneto, Storm, Wolverine, Scott, and Jean in front of him.

"You wanted to see me professor?" Rogue asked. The professor gave her a warm smile. "Yes, Rogue. The way I heard it you had quite an impact on the students today." The others stared at her.

"Ummm, well I guess so." Rogue replied feeling slightly nervous.

Professor X continued to smile. "There's no need to be hesitant to claim responsibility. The way I understand it, there wasn't any...use of mutant powers due to your talk with the students."

Rouge fiddled with her hair. "Oh, you heard about that." She met his eyes. "Professor, I honestly didn't mean to scare anyone, the kids just wen't taking it seriously, and it doesn't help that Principal Kelly's been in a sour mood since the election."

"Scare anyone?" Scott asked with an eyebrow raised. "I.. mentioned that there had been some talk about sentinels coming to the school."

"Well done, Rogue." Magneto praised. Rogue looked up surprised she was getting praise from Magneto of all the people. "Someone had to warn those children what is going to happen."

"Yes, well, Rogue's talk with the students seemed to do the trick, there were no pranks use of mutation of any kind, thankfully." Professor X added.

"Honestly Professor, I'm surprised there were no outbursts. The prejudiced is even worse than last year, and Principal Kelly isn't exactly keeping it a secret that he hates us." Rogue turned to Scott and Jean. "You should have heard the...jerk, he even brought you two into it."

"Rogue that _jerk_, is your principal." Scott reminded her. _"Yeah _I know Scott, it's just hard to respect someone who doesn't respect you back."

Jean gave Rogue a sympathetic look. "We know Rogue, just do your best."

"Wait, you said their'd been talk about sentinels coming to the school, Chuck you think I should install some new sentinel simulations in the danger room?"

"Hmmm..." The professor tapped his chin. "I think we need more information on the sentinels." Rogue spoke up. Though she immedietly regretted it, now everyone's eyes were on her again.

"I mean, you know, weak points, easiest way to take fool them, stuff like that. If we train the kids to do nothing but destroy the sentinels they might get the wrong idea when the sentinels show up at school. And we wouldn't want to give Principal Kelly a field day if you know what I mean."

"Rogue is right Logan, we don't need the students attacking non aggressive sentinels, and then getting kicked out of school. However we do need more information on the sentinels." The professor nodded in Logan's direction.

"I doubt the government it just going to hand that over, especially since it was made public the Xavier Institute was a school for mutants." Rogue said._'Damn I just can not keep my mouth shut today.'_ Rogue thought to herself angrily.

The professor in-haled. "Yes, that is true. I'll have to spend more time thinking about this one."

"In the meantime, Rogue I know your not one to crave the spotlight, but with Jean and Scott busy with college, they can't always have time for the X-Men, so I find myself in need for a new student authority figure."

Rogue looked into his eyes disbelievingly. He wasn't getting at...

"With the display of reason you managed to talk into the students this morning I have finally come to a decision. I am offering you an official position of authority over the younger X men. Should you accept, you would share leadership of the X men with Jean and Scott."

Rogue stared stunned. "Are-are you sure professor?" Rogue asked hesitantly. "Yes, Rogue, I have thought long and hard about this."

_'My god, he's serious about this! Me, a leader of the X-men!'_ Rogue wasn't sure she wanted to do this, being a leader isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

_(Flashback)_

_Rogue and the others were standing on the steps of a trashed mansion after the party they had been busted for having. Scott stepped forward. "Professor I accept the blame."_

Rogue knew what being a leader meant. Scott accepted the blame thought it had not been his fault, he had been tricked into leaving the mansion with Jean. He didn't know anything about the party.

Rogue was tempted to say no...besides like the professor had pointed out she wasn't one for the spotlight.

But that's when another thought occurred to her...this morning she realized she was the oldest, the most mature, the one that could talk reason into the students.

"I-I know being a leader and in a position of authority isn't all it's cracked up to be professor...but I feel like I'm up for the challenge."

The professor beamed. "Glad to hear it Rogue. I'll inform the other students at dinner, so please be there."

Rogue returned the professor's smile as she nodded and left his office. _'Looks like some people have caught onto me not attending dinner, well I knew someone was going to notice something sooner or later.'_

* * *

By the time she got to her room Rogue was cursing herself. _'Why would you accept a position that would only cause you harm?'_ She asked herself. _'Now it's going to be ten times harder to hide my crazy impulses to touch people!'  
_

Angrily she pounded her fists on her bed. _'Damn! Damn! Damn! I'm not only putting my sanity on the line, but my friends lives as well!'_ Rogue finally relaxed her body after several minutes before heading to the shower.

Before she stepped in she took a look at the clock. 5:28, still thirty minutes until dinner, plenty of time to get numb.

* * *

_'Five minutes until I have to attend the worst meal of the day.'_ Rogue thought angrily as she continued to brush her hair. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

_'What now?'_

She was expecting Kitty or maybe even Storm, but she certainly wasn't expecting...

"Magneto." She said surprised.

He was wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt, which made his eyes and hair light up. Strange now his eyes were light green, but then again maybe Rogue had imagined them to be dark green. He was no doubt...kinda sorta...attractive, Rogue decided.

"Did the professor send you to make sure I came to dinner?" She asked.

"He asked me to remind you to attend." He stared her down for a minute. "Ah, right, because I can't make it there on my own." She snapped angrily at him.

Apparently the shower had not improved her mood any. Magneto sighed. "Rogue if you only attended dinners regularly, I wouldn't be here."

She lowered her eyes at him in anger, she knew he was telling the truth, but hey that's hat made her angry. Rogue didn't respond as she shut off the lights and closed her door.

With one last defiant look at him she stalked off down the hall. She didn't notice him following her until he spoke up. "Out of curiosity why don't you attend dinner?"

"Maybe I'm just not in the mood to deal with people." People being telepaths, two in particular.

He should be one of the few people to understand that. And it seemed as though he did understand, as the rest of the way was walked in silence.

* * *

**I wasn't really planning to make Rogue a leader of the X-men but I'm pretty sure I can find a way to make it work.**

**RR:**

**Saay: Thanks for the review! I hope this chapter is as good as the first.**

**Marigab: ppst..you wanna know a secret? I like Rogneto too! That's probably going to be where the romance in this story is.**

**Introverted-Verses: Thanks for your review! **

**tx peppa: Yeah I've been thinking about Rogue's thoughts too, I'll probably go deeper into that in the next chapter.**


	3. Perks and Pains

The other members of the X-men stared as Rogue and Magneto walked into the dining room together, who happened to be last ones to arrive. Rogue quickly too her seat next to Jean, who sat next to Scott, who was closest to the professor.

Kitty looked confused as she looked first a Rogue, then to the empty chair next to her that Rogue usually occupied, before looking back at Rogue again.

Rogue studied it for a moment. _'The Prof sits at the front on his throne, Magneto, and Cyclops sit on his side, Logan and Ororo are across from me and Jean, I guess now that I think about it, it's like I've been accepted into the inner circle of honor.'_ Rogue thought, and before she could help it a small amount of pride bubbled in her chest.

"Well now that we're all here, I have a special announcement to make before we eat." The Professor smiled at Rogue briefly before turning back to the rest of the students.

_'Here it comes.'_ Rogue thought nervously.

"As I'm sure you all know Jean and Scott now attend collage, and are doing quite well, but they are quite busy. Naturally collage takes up quite a bit of their time, and it's getting to the point where they simply cannot handle both collage and leaders of the X-men."

The other students looked at each other excited, they knew now what this was about, someone's status was about to be raised, and they were all hoping it would be them.

"We have all agreed we need a new leader of the X men to take some of the responsibility and weight off Scott and Jean's shoulders. A student authority figure."

Rogue fidgeted in her chair nervously and wondered for a moment if the Professor was doing this just to make it more dramatic. _'Get on with it!'_ Rogue thought angrily to herself.

"So who's it going to be?" Jubilee shouted out, impatient.

_'At least i'm not the only one.' _Rogue thought, relived to herself.

"Yeah, so who's going to be the next leader?" Bobby asked with a large smile on his face.

"Bit early for a promotion don't you think Popsicle?" Logan asked with a knowing smirk on his face. _'Bobby thinks it's going to be him.'_ Rogue realized. _'Won't he be disappointed.'_

"As I was saying." The Professor stated loudly. Everyone got quiet and returned their attentions to the Professor.

"I have decided upon a person that has been through a great deal, and has more experience than the majority of the you combined." The Professor stopped and gave the new mutants a look that clearly meant none of them were getting promoted.

_'Got that right.'_

"I finally made my decision after quite a bit of consideration, and with that, I am officially naming Rogue a leader of the X-men, with all privileges and authority that go with her title. She will share leadership with Scott and Jean."

The room went silent.

Obviously no one had been suspecting Rogue of all the people, maybe Kitty of Kurt, or even Spike, but not Rogue.

"Rogue?" Bobby, Jubilee, and Jamie said in unison.

* * *

The rest of the meal was eaten in complete silence, though to Rogue it was quite clear why. The younger angrier mutants had held their tongue thankfully after a stern look from Professor X.

At the end of the meal a telepathic message was sent out to the leaders of the X-men about meeting in the smallest library directly after dinner was over and the dishes were washed.

Though, as Rogue helped the others clear the plates she was fully aware of the envious and angry looks she was getting and wondered briefly if it had been more than a look that had silenced them.

* * *

Rogue sat comfortably on the couch as she waited with Scott.

"Scott?" Rogue asked hesitantly.

"Hmm, yeah Rogue?"

"How do you feel about this? About me being leader at all."

He studied her quietly. "I think, after everything you've done these past three years, you've defiantly deserved it. Not just your accomplishments, but what you've done for the X-men. Like when Jean was out of control, or the countless other times you've put your own safety on the line for people."

Rogue smiled thankfully back at him.

"Cyclops is correct Rogue."

Rogue turned in the direction of the voice. Magneto, who had been standing by the window turned to face her. "It's not just your accomplishments that have elevated you to this position and rank, it is your experiences as well."

He moved closer before he paused and, ignoring the scowl Scott gave him, sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "A good leader must know what it like to be in a difficult situation or ordeal. You have faced your issues with your mother, you have been under the mind control, as well as many other things. A leader must understand important factors such as this."

"Knowledge is power." She finished for him. "And knowledge is what makes a strong leader."

"Exactly." He looked on her with a small smile. "Not to mention that business with Apocalypse."

"What about it?" Rogue demanded. _'Is he actually going to bring up how it was my fault Apocalypse had risen?' _Rogue thought angrily. As though he read her mind he quickly explained.

"Rogue, I was referring to how _you_ stopped him." Rogue calmed a bit at his words. "From what I can gather, your mentor, mother, and guardian were under the power of Apocalypse, and myself as well, some of the most powerful mutants on the planet."

He stopped and looked over her with a look she rarely ever saw in his eyes, astonishment.

"Yet while the rest of the X-men and Brotherhood members were lying on the ground either unconscious or unable to get up, it was you, and you alone that stopped Apocalypse."

"Now wait a minute-" Scott protested loudly.

"I had Logan with me." Rogue said quickly as she fiddled with her hair. Magneto chuckled. "Come now my dear you do not honestly expect me to believe Wolverine stopped Apocalypse? I know he can be strong but he is certainly no mach for Apocalypse."

"Ummm-Rogue?" Scott asked. "I never did hear how it that battle ended."

_'Great, now he's got Scott interested too.'_

"Well, short version, Logan got me in, I shut the power off, locked Apocalypse in his coffin, Logan sliced the controls and we got out of there."

"So Wolverine was nothing but a chaperon, correct?" He looked her in the eyes with a look that said, you know I'm right.

But before she could reply the Professor with Jean, Storm, and Logan trailing behind him came into the library. In the Professor's lap there was a small rectangular box.

Jean was carrying a bottle, while Storm and Logan carried the glasses.

Rogue looked surprised and raised her eyebrow. She wasn't even 18 yet, besides that Scott and Jean had barley graced the age of 19. "Before you say anything Stripes, it's sparkling apple cider." Logan told Rogue as he handed her a glass.

"Of course." She replied easily.

Storm poured cider into peoples glasses and set the bottle down before clearing her throat. She raised her glass. "To Rogue, the new leader of the X-men, whom we are all very proud of."

Everyone clanked their glasses together. Rogue smiled to herself as she sipped the cider. _'Look how far I've come.'_ She thought to herself. _'Never thought I'd be here of all the places.'_

"But before you go to bed Rogue we would like to present you with this." The Professor handed Rogue the box that had been sitting on his lap.

Rogue's fingers hesitantly ran across it. "Thank you, Professor, wow, you shouldn't have."

"Go ahead." Jean urged. "Open it." Rogue carefully lifted the lid to find a uniform inside. One very much like her old uniform except for the lack of shoulder pads, and there was now no purple in her uniform, just green around her chest, green boots, and green gloves, other than that the uniform was black.

"Wow." Rogue said breathlessly.

"Part of the package that comes with the whole leader thing." Logan added. "And we would have given you your own room, but you already have one, so we added you your own bathroom."

"What?" Rogue asked. "Yep, Jean just got finished with it." Logan nodded.

"Now for the not so great part, while the students normally report at 5 o'clock, you will report at 4 o'clock to the danger room." Isn't that just like Logan? Here's the good news, but before you get to happy here's the bad.

* * *

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Rogue's alarm went off at 3:40. Angrily Rogue picked it up and threw in at the wall. "4 o'clock in the morning." She hissed. "Now I'm I'm not sure even my own bathroom is worth this!"

* * *

How's that? Sorry for the delay, if that ever happens again, please someone kick me. And a special thank-you to my reviewers and to Guitarhero097 who gave me the push I need to make me write this chapter.

We're sure to have some ROGNETO romance in the next chapter! YAY!

Tenchi13-Thanks for your review! Glad you liked it.

tx peppa-Glad your able to read Rogneto! Thanks for your review!

Marigab-Got that right Rogue rules! Thanks for reviewing, I wonder who will figure out her little secret indeed...

KaliAnn-Thanks, I try to make it detailed, and thank you for reviewing!

Batty QUEEN-Thanks you so much for the engorgement!

Sanny-Thanks for the review and for correcting me! I'll try not to make to many mistakes.

Angelpaint07-Yay you like my fic, thanks for reviewing!

Christa4ever-Thank you for reviewing!

Guitarhero097-Thank you for giving me that shove I needed to write the chapter, and you weren't being rude please tell me again next time I'm not updating!


	4. Realizations of Betrayl

"Sentinel Facility 12 miles ahead and closing." Cyclops said as he taped his fingers on the screen of the Blackbird.

"Never thought I'd see the day Professor X would have us break into a facility controlled by the government." Rogue said as she stared out the window into the dark night.

* * *

_(24 hours earlier)_

_"This, unfortunetly is a route I never wished to take, and hope to never take again." Professor X started out across at the other X-men leaders._

_"But I'm afraid my sources have confirmed that sentinels will be coming to the schools starting tomorrow, and we _need_ information."_

_"Professor, with all due respect I thought we were supposed to be the good guys here." Cyclops said angrily._

_"I have more bad news I'm afraid. Right now Congress is debating weather or not to start having sentinels patrol this institute and the Brotherhood Boarding House on a daily basis."_

_"We don't have much of a choice." Storm spoke. All heads nodded down in acceptance. "While Cyclops, Erik, and Rogue carry out their mission I will be in Washington fighting this." The Professor turned to Jean. _

_"Jean pack your things, your coming with me, I wish I could take you two Hank, but we simply cannot afford to leave the institute without a doctor at the moment."_

_Beast nodded. "I understand, Charles." _

_"Good, then we are all in agreement that this must be done. Hank, Logan and Ororo will watch the children tonight. The rest of you know your mission, and Erik don't forget to take down the cameras and security alarms, it would not help my political fight in Washington if the X-Men were seen breaking into a government facility."_

* * *

"Perhaps I haven't been the best influence on your dear Professor." Magneto said as he turned back to her.

Rogue shook her head and grinned. "Maybe not, but then again we aren't exactly in the best of situations." He nodded.

"Yes, but even I'm surprised Charles would resort to options such as this." Magneto sighed. Rogue nodded and turned back toward the window.

_'Prof's getting desperate.' _Rogue realized. _'I wonder if this is going to impact Magneto in any way.'_ Rogue stole a look back at Magneto. Wearing his usual purple and red armor with his helmet sitting on the seat behind him._ 'We're just beginning to get him back on our side, what if he goes bad again?'_

Rogue winced at that thought. _'Then we'll loose Peter and we'll have to fight humanity and Magneto's Acolytes. As much as I hate to admit it, Magneto has become an valuable member of the X-men, and better him with us than against us.'_

_**'You want to touch him don't you?'** _The voice asked mischievously. Rogue closed her eyes. _'Ignore it, ignore the urges.'_ She told herself again and again.

_**'I bet if you come up from behind him and catch him off guard you could knock him unconscious.' **_Rogue inhaled and out-haled.

_**'And once he's unconscious, take him to his room, lay him on the bed, and kiss him!' **__'No no!'_ Rogue told herself as she shivered imagining it.

_**'Then for as long as you want you can give him a peck on the lips, wait for him to recover, then do it again. Could even make out with him if you** **wanted.'**_

_**'He's the most powerful mutant on the planet, class four, he'll recover without any permanent damage done.'**_That made Rogue stop and think for a moment. Could be so easy.

**_'And when he wakes up, even if he remembers something he'll think it was all a_ dream.'** The voice was so tempting, so convincing. Rogue shivered again at the thought of making out with him.

_'No, no, it's Magneto for crying out loud! No, it's...no!' _

"We're landing about half a mile from the coordinates, Cyclops said as he unbuckled himself. Magneto nodded and put his helmet on. Rogue brought herself back to earth as she nodded and stood up.

"Now remember to take out the security cameras, and prevent the alarm system from going off." Cyclops said as he opened the ramp for the two.

"Professor X wants everything. I mean _everything_." He reminded them.

"You have nothing to fear young Cyclops, I have done this sort of thing before." Magneto said casually, as if he did this kind of thing on a regular basis._'Wouldn't be surprised if he did, it's Magneto for crying out loud...god Cyclops looks like an idiot, Magneto has had close to 48 years of experience with mutant activities and a nineteen year old is lecturing him?'_

Rogue shook her head at Cyclops's foolishness and stupidity.

* * *

"Rogue!" Magneto grabbed her arm and slammed her against the wall. "Freeze...

He whispered. "Something's not right, there's and odd amount of metal coming toward us."

Just then a thin blue light came from the end of the hall before blasting Rogue and Magneto. Magneto stumbled for a few seconds before getting up, Rogue, however, lied on the ground without moving.

Magneto looked up to see a black machine with a red triangle on it's chest. With a raise of his hand the chest piece and a few other pieces, on his knees, elbow, and neck.

Magneto then wrapped one arm around Rogue's knees, and the other around her neck before shattering the roof and flying out of there.

* * *

Fire fell from the sky as she did. Falling so hopelessly, without her mother or father. "Alex!" She shouted as she turned to her blond little brother.

She reached across and pulled his parachute before pulling her own, but a piece of the fire came out of the sky and hit her parachute. "Alex!" She screamed again as she fell to the ground fast.

"ALEX!" The ground rushed up to meet her as she faintly heard a whispered scream of "Scotty!"

"MOTHER!" The little girl screamed as she reached out across the rubble. "DADDY!" She screamed again. Her mother looked up at her, blood trickling down the side of her lip, and smiled before reached out and lightly touching the girl's hand.

Things were falling from the sky, terrible things. A piece of the wreckage hit the girl in the head. She stumbled backwards as her mother faded from view and more things hit her and hit her, until eventually they started to pile up on her. Slowly the light faded out, little by little.

"Is he ready?"

"Hurry up before it cools!"

"Gentlemen today we are going to make history!"

"I present to you, Weapon X!"

She thrashed in the water and tried to move. Needles were coming toward her. She despreatly thrashed some more. They stopped about an inch from her skin.

She stopped thrashing in relief. Then the needles moved in one quite motion into her skin. Hot metal filled her, she could feel it boiling, seething underneath her skin.

"I want his memory erased."

Blood, mud, fire, gas. "Back to work!" They yelled at her and threw a shovel in her direction.

Bodies, so many of them. Family, friends, her friends, her family. She looked down at the newly imprinted tattoo on her skin and tears rolled down her face.

So many of them, and so few of us kept alive to shovel them away

* * *

"Rogue." She dimly heard a name calling out to her. "That's it Rogue, come back to us." She turned her head as she shook. Tears freely rolled down her face.

"Rogue?" The voice asked confused. She didn't answer him as she turned her face into the pillow and cried into it. "Charles!" The voice called out._ 'Dr. McCoy.'_ Rogue realized. _'It's Dr. McCoy talking to me.'_

There was silence as Rogue continued to cry into her pillow. She hadn't dreamed of these things in nearly a six months, why were they coming back now?

"Oh, dear." Professor X said. "Oh, dear god." He repeated as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Rogue." He spoke. "Rogue, I'm so sorry, I hadn't realized...

"What?" She asked as she turned to him. "You know then?" She whispered. "Rogue, after your first incident with Apocalypse, I put up mental barriers to prevent this from happening, but it appears they were torn down."

"Mental barriers?" She whispered. He nodded.

"You...without my CONSENT?!" She screamed. Pain, betrayal, and trust were shattered within her. "Were you ever going to tell me?" She asked as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Rogue I-"

_'GET OUT!' _She thought angrily. He winced. _'GET OUT!'_ She screamed much louder this time. He sighed. "As you wish."

_'Why would he do that to me if he knew the only chance for me to gain control of my skin would be to let the memories and fragments run loose?'_ She asked herself.

_'Oh god.'_ She realized. _'I haven't heard the fragments in so long, that's why, oh god. Erik, the others, why didn't I realize?'_

More tears rolled down her face.

* * *

Smack! Rogue's fist made contact with the punching bag. Smack! Her other fist made contact as well. Her feet also made contact. "Son of a Bitch!" She hissed as she hit it again.

"Son of a Bitch!" She yelled a little louder. "SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she continued to his the punching bag.

* * *

"Rogue what's going on?" Magneto asked as he walked up form behind her careful not to get close in case she spun around and attacked him instead of the punching bag.

"The Prof is an ASS!" She shouted before turning and realizing who was speaking to her, and what she had just said. Rogue blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"I-I-

She was a loss for words.

He shook his head. "Rest easy, Rogue. I've already heard about what happened and what Charles did. He told me before he left." He gave her a sympathetic look that he rarely wore.

"It is a perfectly justified and understandable reaction." He assured her. "Why?" She asked. "Why would he do that if he knew putting barriers up would keep me from gaining control?"

Magneto stared intently down on her. "I'm not going to lie to you Rogue, I have a theory, but you are not going to like it."

"Tell me." She demanded.

"Charles, after three years, has _finally _realized what you are capable of, he realized you had more potential and power that Jean Grey and himself."

"And?" She asked as her eyes watered, she knew her answer now, she just didn't want to believe it. "He knows you could be more powerful that Apocalypse, and myself, and himself combined. Jean Grey has the potential for _almost_ limitless power, while you my dear girl, you have to potential for _limitless_ power."

"Raven and Destiny both realized this when you were very young." He continued.

"He didn't want me to gain control." She finished for him.

Tears rolled down her face. "I trusted him." She whispered. Rogue turned around and gave the punching bag another punch.

"OF COURSE!" She shouted.

"Why would he let an emotionally and mentally unstable teenage girl gain control and have limitless power? Even if it meant ending her dreams of ever being able to hug, or to shake hands, or even kiss!" She continued to assault the punching bag.

Magneto let this go on for a few minutes before grabbing her gloved hand and pulling her towards him.

Tears were still streaming down her face. He sighed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tissue. he used it to protect his finger as he gently dabbed her tears away.

She didn't stop him as more tears fell. He stopped for a moment before looking her over. "Charles also mentioned you haven't had any form of physical contact for three years." He spoke.

Before she could nod or reply he moved his hands to her back, which was protected by her black tank top and gave her a forceful push into his chest.

Rogue gasped before she melted and rubbed her head into his chest and moved her gloved hand to his chest. She didn't seem to realize what she was doing until after about two minutes. She blushed hotly for the second time and tried to remove her hand but his hand reached out to grab hers and led it back to his chest. A sign that it was alright.

Magneto kept one hand on her back as his other hand came up to gently smooth her hair. She sighed as the tears stopped flowing. "Erik, thank you."

She froze in horror of what she'd just said. Oh god had she called him Erik? He pushed her back a little so he could stare quizzically into her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I've just gotten used to calling your fragment Erik."

His expressed softened out. "Ah, of course. You many call me Erik if you wish." He smiled down at her.

"Erik, this-this seems a little, like something you wouldn't do." She blurted out. "Seriously when was the last time you comforted a crying girl?" She asked.

"You didn't enjoy it?" He asked. "You seemed quite soothed by it." Rogue felt color rise to her cheeks again.

"I-I was, it was really nice, but you still haven't answered my question." She stared up into his eyes determined to see if he'd lie or not.

"Rogue, you have done _nothing_, to deserve being put though all this pain." He told her. "You done nothing to warrant being hospitalized twice in less than one month because of your own mother."

"And you certainly do not deserve the pain of others." He said knowingly. "Oh." She looked at the ground. "You know."

"Yes, my girl. And despite what you may think, I'm not angry, it is a remarkable gift, but untrained, it can be painful."

"Your not angry about me knowing your every secret?" She asked surprised. "No." He answered. "Really Rogue I don't understand why your surprised, you have after all seen everything I am."

She nodded. "Yes, I have. How long have you know about my... abilities?"

"Your referring to your highly advanced form telepathy I assume."

She sighed. "Yes, and it's not highly advanced."

He chuckled. "My dear, I beg to differ. A telepath can see one's memories. You can re-live them from the holder's point of view, no telepath can do that." He pointed out.

She shrugged.

"I'v had some idea about your mental abilities since you and your brother decided to pay me a visit in the desert."

"Really dear, did you expect me to believe Charles was the one that was responsible for finding me?" He chuckled. Rogue smiled before yawning. "I's late, and after an attack like that you need to rest."

She smiled at him. "Goodnight Erik." She said as she made her way to her room with her anger no longer present.

* * *

I was going to update sooner, I come back to my computer Sunday and happen to loose EVERYTHING on this chapter. Honestly I don't think I've ever cursed so much in one day!

tenchi13- Yay I'm not alone in the Rogneto pairing! I know some people are really against it, but if Scott can have the hots for the Queen of the Hellfire Club and a murder I guess Rogue can date a supervillan!

Sanny-Thanks so much or your review!

christa4ever-Thanks! By the way I LOVE your fics!

Marigab-Thanks for your review!

Guitarhero097- Trust me I don't like leaving fics for a year without updating them, I'm not really one of those people.

Angelpaint07- Yay, we all love Rogneto romance! Thanks for your review!

Batty QUEEN-Rogneto also happens to be my cousin's guilty pleasure, your not alone! Thanks for your review!

.Kitty-Thanks so much, I was really worried at first that the way Rogue was acting was to much out of character, but the reassurance feels nice.

puffxpenguin-Thanks for your review I love updates too!

Powerpad5-Nice to know someone's hungry for updates! :) Thanks for your review!


	5. Giving In

"Did we at the very least get anything good from the disks we...took?" Rogue asked the staff, not wanting to use the word _steal, _which she knew was probably the more accurate word.

"Yep, we got some designs for the new sentinels, a side project called 'Prowler'." Wolverine answered her as he hit a series of buttons bringing up a hologram of what looked to be a a giant spider/scorpion, with an arsenal attached to it's tail.

"That doesn't look friendly." Rogue commented dryly.

"No, it doesn't, we won't know more for a while, prototypes for the 'Prowler Program' haven't even started yet, but this is something that concerns me."

Magneto spoke as he hit a series of buttons, another hologram appeared. This smaller sentinel with a red triangle chest appeared. "The sentinel we encountered in the facility, his name is Nimrod." Magneto spoke as more information appeared.

"He's a leader of sorts for the sentinels, you may recall in the facility when I said there was an odd amount of metal coming toward us, Nimrod's major joints are lined with metal, though not enough to stop him, and he is designed to repair himself."

"Sounds like someone to watch out for." Rogue commented.

"Agreed." Magneto said as the holograms faded out.

"We have a simulation in ten minutes with the kids, and because of that I'm going to need a beer." Wolverine said as he left the War Room. Beast gave a disapproving sigh as he continued to work on the computers.

Rogue shook her head and put her green utility belt lined with a black 'X' in the center.

* * *

"Nightcrawler intercept!" Rogue pointed to an a simulation citizen about to be crushed by a car. "On it." Nightcrawler replied before he teleported away. Rogue nodded in satisfaction as he saved the citizen before the car fell.

Rogue observed the rest of the team from the top of a fallen bus. Their mission was to protect the citizens from falling debris and/or machines, Rogue's job for this simulation was to give the orders and not get physically involved, no matter what.

Shadowcat was dragging a hologram citizen to safety when a spinning flamethrower came her way, from behind. "Shadowcat phase!"

Shadowcat dropped the citizen and safely phased through the flamethrower, that probably wasn't a hologram. Rogue sighed when she saw the citizen burnt to a crisp. "And take the person with you next time!" Shadowcat winced when she heard that before looked down at what was left of the blackened citizen.

"Sorry!" She called. Rogue rubbed her temples before waving her hand. "Just help the others...and where is that flamethrower?" Rogue looked around confused when she saw it still spinning high up in the sky.

_'It should have crashed by now.'_ Rogue thought as it launched itself at Amara. "Magma, burn it!" Rogue hollered. Magma threw fire from her hands, only to have the flamethrower dodge it...and Magma's flames went straight at Berserker.

"And watch your aim!" She called. Rogue took a closer look at the flamethrower. Metal outlined the sides. _'Of course!'_ She thought to herself. She pushed down on her black earpiece.

"Iceman, I need you freeze the flamethrower, Nightcrawler try to chase it his way."

"Got it, one iced-thrower coming up." Iceman dropped the women he'd been crying and took a fighting stance. The hologram women coughed before picking up a a bar off the ground and raising it above her head.

"Iceman behind you!" Rogue yelled into her earpiece. But he didn't turn fast enough and instead suffered a heavy blow to the back.

Rogue looked to the rest of her team Kitty had dodged the flamethrower, but had crashed into a wall as a result and was crouched over in pain. Kurt was running for his life from the flamethrower, Spyke was hanging upside down from a half broken dangling bridge and what was left of the new mutants were getting their butts kicked. All from a little flamethrower.

Rogue sighed angrily before looking at her watch. 7:45. "Computer end simulation!" The broken and burning half of New York City vanished and the turned into the walls of the danger room, and all the holograms of citizens vanished too, except for the flamethrower which twirled up to the observation room.

_'Damn Erik kicked their asses with nothing but a piece of metal attached to a lighter.'_

"That was without a doubt, one of the most pathetic and failed training sessions we've had in a _long_ time!" Rogue spoke to the others. "Frankly, I think we've all gotten a little too lazy after that brush with Apocalypse. We partied a lot over the summer and ignored our training until a month ago, we are, without a doubt in my mind out of practice. And that is why you're going to kiss your evenings goodbye, from now on we have training sessions twice a day, everyday, except for the weekend. On the weekend we are having one training session at six o'clock in the morning."

The reaction of her team members were...pissed to say the least.

"You can't do that!" Magma yelled.

"What?" Nightcrawler asked in disbelief.

"No way!" Shadocat joined in.

"That's enough!" Magneto yelled as he floated down beside Rogue. "That was a disaster! For the most part, I am in agreement with Rogue."

"Most part?" Rogue asked.

"In my opinion their should be _three_ training sessions on Saturday and Sunday!" Everybody started in shock. "I can't believe this!" Bobby shouted as he picked himself up off the floor. "It's not fair! How was I supposed to know that hologram bitch, that I saved, would attack me?"

Rogue turned her attention to Bobby. "Iceman, you were warned at the beginning of the session that not all citizens would be friendly."

"The problem, you Iceman, isn't you or your teammates lack of attention or accomplishment." Magneto spoke icily. "Your main problem is getting beaten miserably by a lighter attached to a piece of metal."

The room went silent.

"Alright, hit the showers and be at school in thirty minutes, after school report to the danger room at five o'clock ." Rogue said dismissing the team.

"Where did all their training go?" Rogue asked to no one in particular. "And why did it have to be _now_?"

"We're going to need them, and soon." Magneto told her.

"Yeah, and getting them into shape ain't gonna be a cakewalk."

"Then we're in agreement. "

Rogue nodded and thought for a moment.

"Erik." She began hesitantly. "How well trained is the Brotherhood?"

Magneto was taken back by her question. What would the Brotherhood have to do with this?

"I'm not sure, somewhat satisfactory by Mystique's standers." Rogue felt a chill of anger and resentment at the mention of her mothers name. "Maybe we could set up a training session of some kind with the Brotherhood." Rogue suggested.

Rogue sighed as she thought of how her team would react to this, and she didn't blame them, god what was she thinking? The Brotherhood? Sure they were on somewhat friendly terms after Apocalypse, but the Brotherhood? The Brotherhood that they'd fought almost every week for three years, yeah that was gonna go over real nice.

"That's not the brightest idea you've ever come up with." He responded. Rogue studied his face carefully. Something was masked there. "Why not?"

She asked. "With the sentinels coming, we may have to work with them again, and if there's even a _small_ chance we could learn something from them...

"No." He responded quickly and firmly. "Look, I don't like it either, but we're going to have to suck it up in case Apocalypse comes back or something, I know your not stupid enough to believe a mutant that powerful could just be locked away and remain hidden forever. "

A sudden rush of anger swelled inside of him at the mention of that name. Rogue saw it, and internally winced. _'__Maybe bringing up Apocalypse and his embarrassing failure wasn't the best idea.' _She thought.

"I will take care of him when the time comes!" His response was yelled angrily.

"Like you did last time?" Rogue asked without thinking. "Oh, yeah that worked out real well!" Her snide little comments weren't yelled, but they were sarcastic, and that was like throwing gasoline on the fire.

"You said it yourself, Apocalypse had two of the most powerful mutants under his control, and I saw the footage from Mexico." She said smugly. "You got your ass kicked."

He clenched his jaw. She could see he was trying very hard to control his anger. Had they been enemies like they were a few months ago, he would have thrown her across the room to start with.

"Really, and who do you suppose is going to save humanity next time, you again?" He growled back. "Apocalypse would have taken precautions with you, he would have gotten rid of you before he started this over again, and I doubt it would be in a kind way, seeing as he most likely harbors no kind feelings toward the brat who ruined his plan."

"BRAT?!" Rogue yelled, fists clenched at her sides. "I'm not a brat, and even if I were, a brat is better than a spectacular failure!"

"I'm curious Erik, why don't you want the X-men to work with the Brotherhood? Is it because your afraid of Wanda figuring out what you did?" She asked knowingly. Last night she had gone over everything she'd absorbed from the whole Mesmero/Mystique/Apocalypse Rising incident.

"Yeah I know all about that." She said.

He was angered beyond belief, Rogue saw that. But slowly his anger turned into something much more deadly.

"Your right." He admitted. "If that happens Wanda will have an outburst, and want to kill me again. But I suppose, should that happen, I may try a new tactic. Instead of erasing her memories I'll simply push her off a ledge in the mountains."

Rogue froze up. She remembered the field trip with Scott and the rest of the geology club, how Mystique had pushed Scott and her off the ledge, knowing she was her daughter.

"Of course she may try the same thing to me in a few years, but she may accurately kill me. Hmmm, I wonder where it would happen? The gazebo by the cliff seems like a probable place."

"Bastard." Rogue hissed. She didn't know how he knew half of what he did, but she was going to find out...with the touch of her finger.

_**'About time.' **_The voice commented.

Rogue tore her glove off and lunged for him. The fell to the ground as she successfully tackled him. In an instant her hand wrapped around his jaw.

Her eyes widened as she felt her powers active. The rush the flow of it. Tingles of blue energy came off of the two as they were both frozen. Rogue felt his powers enter her. The warm vibrating hum of cerebro, the danger room. It felt so good.

_**'No leave**** it. It'll be there for a while.'**_ The voice said. _**'Focus on your abilities, how it**_** fe****els.'**

And for once Rogue listened to the voice. The shock and the tingles of energy and power that flowed through her.

She was caught off guard when a magnetic force pushed her off of him. The contact broke, along with all the feelings that came with it. The disappointment faded as captivation with his abilities overtook her.

Rogue pulled herself to her feet and listened to the metal.

She took a piece of metal off of the walls and formed it into three balls that floated through the air. She faintly heard a grunt from behind her and turned to see Magneto recovering from her attack. Their eyes met for a moment before anger ripped through her. He'd reminded her of her mother, and now matter how shitty of a dad he was, her mother was worse! Worse than Magneto.

The three metal spheres stopped moving and turned into three metal spikes. They launched themselves at Magneto. He easily deflected them.

Rogue hissed. She could feel his personality overtaking her, his rage, his homicidal personality. His reaction to rage.

Magnetic energy emerged, Rogue could feel it coming out of her eyes. She lunged for him again.

Rogue hit him square in the jaw, but her victory was short lived as his hands seized her sides and sent her flying into the air with the help of his magnetism.

She used magnetism to stabilize her as she floated. "Been wanting to do that since New York!" Rogue called down to him. "You remember when you went running from me, right? The _first_ time I kicked your ass?"

Blue energy was radiating off of him as he threw electric lightning at her. Rogue fraught to keep it from hitting her as she put up a magnetic shield. Quickly as she could she expanded the shield and pushed it towards him.

She laughed mockingly. _'He's going to get his ass kicked again.' _

Rogue was shocked when he gave off a magnetic blast that pushed through hers and sent her flying for the ceiling. When she hit it two strips of metal came up to wrap around her wrists blue pieces of metal.

Rogue struggled to call out to them, to unwrap them. But they wouldn't respond to her. She stared at the strips confused.

Magneto chuckled as he floated up to her. "It's no use Rogue, I've put a magnetic shield on it to keep you from interfering." She glared at him.

He smirked at her. "Congratulations, Rogue I really didn't think you had it in you. You may very well be the only student here not completely under the thrall of Xavier's _dreamlike _influence."

"So your not here to be one of us!" Rogue exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"That isn't the point Rogue, the point, _girl _is that I saw the look on your face." He said still wearing his smirk. "I saw how much you enjoyed using your power, how much you enjoyed using mine."

He gave a dark chuckle. "Of course I would be excited too if I hadn't used my god given gift is such a long time. It really is an amazing and deadly gift, such a pity Charles squanders it."

"Bastard!" Rogue hissed angrily as she thrashed against the restraints. She could feel his power being channeled through her the sparks that were powering up. Rogue knew that when she absorbed a mutant she often used their ability better than they did, and _Magneto_ sure as _hell_ wasn't going to be the exception to that.

Rogue in-haled angrily. She knew how much her power fascinated him and she was going to show him what it could do.

As she released her energy she felt the strips of metal snap off her.

**_'Ohhh, it's on, time to kick Erik's ass and take his life force! YES! Feel the rush the power, don't deny how much you liked_**_ it.'_

And for once the voice wasn't annoying, or like the little devil on your shoulder, it was that encouraging friend. She smiled at the look of shock on his face as she lunged for him again.

* * *

**So tell me, who liked that little fight, and who's pissed about X-Men Legacy 275? Anyone miss Carey, the writer that got them together? Man I was expecting a big reunion and all, but hell at least Gage made them kiss, and who knows she's gonna be on a team with his daughter in Uncanny Avengers so Magneto's bound to pop up sometime.  
**

**Cross your fingers and hope for the best!  
(And don't forget to review)  
**

**Marigrab-Yeah I've read some of the AoA series but they're hard to find, I really like the "Shattered Dreams" story when Rogue chooses Magneto over Gambit.  
**

**Saany-I admit I was a little worried about the clear start, so now I made a fight scene!  
**

**Batty QUEEN-Thanks so much!  
**

**1983Sarah-Glad you like it thanks for the review!  
**

**Angelpaint07-Thanks for your review!  
**

** .Kitty-Aww thanks I just love Erik and Rogue cuteness!  
**


	6. Shocking Moment

_'Damn he keeps fit!' _Rogue thought as she finally manged to wrestle Magneto to the ground. She knew of course the only reason she had been able to do this was with the help of his magnetic super-strength...which happened to be wearing off.

_**'No! Nononono! Absorb him** **now!'**_ The voice screamed at Rogue. Rogue silently agreed with the voice as she quickly brought her hand down to Magneto's face. The pull started after a few seconds.

Rogue winced, it caused a shock in her head, displeasure. But soon she felt the other pull, the sparks of energy that felt warm and tingly.

Alive.

Rogue felt the rush of his memories.

_He had such disappointment with the training session, and he agreed with Rogue, the X-Men had neglected their training in favor of late night parties and other ridiculously irresponsible and unhealthy activities. _

_He had a fascination with the girl, Rogue, her abilities. Magneto wondered what it had done to her, to have to re-live the pain of everyone she ever touched in the past three years. His shock when he learned that Charles had given her no training. A mutant that powerful, with the ability to kill with touch? But then it dawned on him, Charles was afraid of _**her**._ Afraid of this fascinating girl living up to her namesake. _

_Afraid of her turning on the X-Men, becoming the all-powerful mutant she was meant to be. She could easily kill them, in the middle of the night, she had absorbed them all easily enough...whether or not she was being controlled or not she was still fully capable of doing it. _

_Then he learned of her outburst at the concert. No one had been able to stop her. Jean had gotten a migraine and was sent flying backwards, Scott's optic blasts were easily deflected, Kurt's teleporting had failed, and lastly she had beaten Storm with her own mutation. She had amplified Storm's ability and used it against her, rendered her unconscious. Had she not willingly stopped herself and allowed Charles to wipe her mind, she very well may have killed the X-Men.  
_

The link was cut off as Rogue dimly felt herself snapping back into the real world, she was no longer swimming in his memories, but her vision was still blurry. Rogue nearly fell on top of Magneto, who, like she was still recovering from the contact.

Rogue reached out re-establish contact. But she was slower this time, and Magneto was given the time he needed to prevent it. He grabbed her hand preventing her from touching him.

Rogue, still woozy used her other hand to take hold of his neck, hoping to find some skin. Instead she felt cloth material. She felt Erik's fragment in her head hiss. He was _furious_.

He hadn't had a mental intrusion in years, his psychic barriers and sometimes his helmet prevented that. But then this girl comes along, so easily getting under his skin, provoking him, before she had so easily gained access to his mind, so easily knew his thoughts.

An intrusion.

A breech of privacy.

An infuriating 17-year old girl, with a mind(and mutation)that could quite possibly rival his own.

_**'Nuhhh, you were to greedy, small amounts at a** **time.' **_The slurred voice chastised.

Magneto took full advantage of her shaky mind and body to successfully twist them to where he was now looming over her, but the girl still had a hold on his collar and had ripped it in the process. Rogue glared up at his angrily before releasing her hold on the torn material and smacking him across the face.

Rogue's assault/slap, in her opinion, made such a nice noise as it echoed through the danger room.

He honest to god hasn't been this angry in months, perhaps years, not even his own children have ever irritated him this much.

He was hissing in her face now as he pinned her arms to the side. She gasped from the shock of it and stared at his darkened green eyes boring down on her. Rogue suddenly realized how close his face was to hers.

Their noses were centimeters apart. Rogue cocked her head to the side and grinned. "About time you stopped getting your ass handed to you." Before she could see him get any angrier than he already was she raised her head and kissed his neck.

This undoubtedly shocked him and the transfer started again. She pressed her lips against him harder trying to get more. Rogue could hear the voice laughing in the back of her head.

He was frozen with shock. Rogue lifted her head away and stopped the transfer, remembering what the voice had said about being greedy. But before he could do anything about it, she bit him.

Somewhat gently at first, before biting harder. Looks like teeth didn't transfer. **_'Ohhhh, where is this coming from, getting a little aggressive are we?' _**The voice laughed. Rogue stopped biting long enough to wonder what the hell she was doing. **_'It's ok, not your fault, his personality is probably making you more aggressive with what you want.'_**

_'Ahh, Dammit! I'm supposed to be absorbing him, not giving him hickeys!'_

Rogue resumed pressing her lips to his neck, at the same time, his hands tightened on her arms, pushing them down harder against the floor.

That made Rogue's head jerk back. She stared defiantly into his eyes, while he hissed, once again tightening his grip, and since when did having her arms pinned down to the floor feel so...

She reached up and pressed her open mouth against his skin once more. Before she started to drain him again though, she gently nibbled.

He jerked his neck to the side, sucking in a breath, groaning softly before twisting them again. Once she was on top again, he used magnetism to push her off of him, a few feet apart from each other.

For a moment they stared at each other, Rogue observed his heavy breathing, and both staring shocked at their assaults on each other. His eyes were clouded with confusion and something else...

Rogue's itch to use her mutation took over her as she lunged for him again, this time seizing his neck with her left hand, ready to take more of his life force. To be honest she was tempted to latch onto his neck again.

* * *

"It was an outrage Hank! We arrived in Washington, only to be sent back! They claimed that they hadn't established whether or not mutants had a right or even a say to defend themselves, and I wasn't able to object! I have no voice in the conference whatsoever."

Professor Xavier sighed angrily as the doors to the sub-level opened. "Oh, my stars and garters." Beast exclaimed. "I can scarcely believe it's come to this, they refuse to acknowledge our rights?" Storm exclaimed loudly.

"Neither can I." Scott said as he put his arm around Jean, pulling her closer. Wolverine whistled. "What are you going to do about this Chuck?" He asked as they made their way down the hallway.

"For now I'm going to make several calls and prepare a case with the help of Moira MacTaggart. In the meantime, before I'm allowed back into Washington, how has the students training been going? On the way in I picked up _several_ angry thoughts about training sessions." Professor Xavier directed this question at Hank.

"Apparently they are _very_ rusty and now have double the training sessions." Hank replied dryly.

"Hmp, as long as their training and not destroying something I'm happy." Wolverine stated. As the six staff members reached the large doors.

"Actually Logan, the behavior at the mansion has been extremely well lately, no incidents of any sort." The Professor smiled lightly as he punched in a number code.

"It's a relief. And it fills me with pride to see everyone behaving so well." Professor Xavier said as the danger room doors opened to reveal a disheveled Rogue and Magneto,_ literally_ at each others throats.

* * *

For a moment, it was like time had simply stopped. The six other staff members stared in shock, surprise, and disbelievingly at the last two members of the senior staff.

Both of which had their hair messed up, Magneto had his collar torn, and Rogue had her hands around his neck. Magneto's fist balled hands were glowing threateningly blue with energy.

"What is the meaning of this, STOP it NOW!" The shocked and slightly outraged Professor Xavier shouted. Both Rogue and Magneto turned to see the rest of the small group.

Under normal circumstances, had Rogue been in her right mind, had she not possessed the personality of Magneto in her mind Rogue would have stopped imminently and explained herself.

But she _did_ have Magneto's personality possessing her at the moment, and she was _not _in her right mind. _'How dare he! Charles telling me what to do, I will not have it!'_ Rogue thought angrily.

Before Magneto could respond to the Professor, Rogue raised her hand bitch slapped him across both cheeks, before punching him in the nose.

If Magneto had forgotten his anger, or his boiling fury had been subdued by Rogue's draining, to say it would be back would be an understatement.

* * *

Magneto threw Rogue across the room for the umpteenth time and shot electricity at her. Rouge winced and fell to the ground. He was giving it all he had, but unfortunately Rogue didn't have time to throw up a shield and was hit, dead on in the chest.

She howled in pain and anger as her back hit the wall. When his attack ceased, Rogue peeled off metal from the walls and launched them at him from every direction. He easily deflected some of them, but others were not so easy.

When Rogue stood, she was completely unaware of the drop of blood making it's way down her cheek from a cut on her forehead. She advanced as quickly as she could to him on the other side of the room. Her hands were glowing, and her eyes sparked lightning.

He also chose a fighting stance as they prepared to tear each other apart.

"I said ENOUGH!" Professor Xavier shouted. Soon Jean, Logan, and Storm were at her sides trying to grab her arms. Rogue shook them off forcefully. She looked across from her to see Erik receiving the same treatment from Scott and Beast.

"Explain yourselves!" Professor Xavier commanded angrily as he stared the two of them down, torn uniforms, bloody nose and slapped reddened cheeks with Erik, and A small amount of blood seeping down from the side of Rogue's face.

Rogue's mind eventually cleared as she felt the hum of the metal die down.

"After training-session disagreement gone a tad too far." Rogue offered. As she stopped fighting Logan, who had her hands pinned behind her back.

Professor Xavier glared at Rogue before giving Magneto a long and much more hardened glare. "What could that look possibly be for Charles, the _child_ started this!"

"I _started_ this?" Rogue shouted angrily. "And you call me the _child_?"

"Rogue what were you thinking, you absorbed him?!" Jean asked horrified expression on his face. "Keep your mouth shut, Perfect Princess, I was teaching that arrogant bastard over there a _lesson_!"

"Oh, I'll teach you a _lesson_ girl! And it won't be one you easily forget!" Magneto threatened.

"LIAR!"

"CHILD!"

"HYPOCRITE!"

By now they were well ready to attack each other again. Beast and Scott had tighten their grips on his arms trying to hold them back.

"You are BOTH acting like children!" Professor Xavier stated. Both Rogue and Magneto stopped struggling to listen to him.

"I _cannot_ and _will not_ have my senior staff members behaving like children! If we weren't in such a dire and desperate situation I would suspend you both, but with the situation in Washington, the Sentinels, and the threat of other mutants we cannot afford fighting within our own ranks! Is that understood?"

Rogue nodded her head, grudgingly accepting his words, Magneto stared him straight in the eye.

"I don't care who started this, but it will _never_ happen again. Now maybe you'd like to explain what you were thinking, Rogue first." Professor Xavier's tone was still angry, but less so than a few minutes ago.

"His magnetism protected him Professor, it makes him stronger than most mutants, he could take it...not like I killed him." Rogue protested, knowing the Professor had been referring to her using her forbidden abilities.

"Erik?" Professor asked, knowing it was unlikely he was going to get more out of Rogue.

"She could have absorbed Wolverine's healing, had she been badly wounded, but seeing as how she absorbed my magnetism, as the girl pointed out, that seemed unlikely she would sustain serious injury."

"I don't want to hear excuses." Professor Xavier stated. _'Well that's all your going to get.'_ Rogue sent that though his way.

The Professor lowered his eyes in anger, he had obviously received it.

"Well in any case apologizing to each other would be punishment enough for now."

Rogue snorted.

Magneto scoffed.

The words "Not likely" hung in the air.

"Ah, well, for the moment we don't have time for your stubborn attitudes. Rogue, we have a situation, your going to have to miss school. The both of you get cleaned up, changed into some civil clothes, and meet me in my office in thirty minutes."

Logan released Rogue's hands and turned to leave with the Professor. She stole a look at Magneto to see he still had darkened eyes, that flickered over to the over side of the room, where she had launched her strange attack on his neck, to have him respond equally strangely.

Rogue shivered, shook her head, and retrieved her gloves before retreating into the elevator.

* * *

**In the next chapter we are definitely going into exploring the psychs/fragments in Rogue's head. And Magneto and Rogue both going to consider how they felt about what happened in the danger room.  
**

**Here's some fun facts I realized one night while reading about how much people hated Rogneto:  
**

**1: Some people aren't fond of the age gap, he's three times her age, physically and mentally not so far apart, but still. But it seems to be OK when Wolverine,(who is FIVE times Jean's age,) dates Jean Grey? Wolverine was born in 1880's.  
**

**2: He's a former supervillan and a murder. Ever heard of Emma Forst, the Queen of the Hellfire Club/murderer that dated x-Man Cyclops?  
**

**I don't mean to offend anyone, so please try not to go crazy with anger, but when you think about it, is there really any other reasons why Rogue/Magneto is hated?(other than the two reasons I stated.)**

**BTW: I did some research, apparently in Evolution Magneto's eyes are green. I know in the comics there blue, but this is Evo, so I'll stick to green.  
**

**BTW: And concerning Rogue's name: In the movieverse she's "Marie", but in the Comics she's "Anna". It was never stated what she wanted to be called in Evolution, so I'll need your advice. Marie or Anna?  
**

* * *

**tx peppa: I heart when Rogue is in kick ass mode too! I think she's going to come down from her little "episode" this time, maybe not next time though.  
**

**Sanny: Thanks, always nervous about doing fighting scenes.**

**Batty QUEEN: Thanks for your review!**

**Marigab: Rogue and Magneto having sex in the danger room and angry Professor? Now there's an idea I like! I would kill to see a photo of them kissing or something with angry Prof. in the background! X) I'm glad my story can cheer you up.  
**

**Angelpaint07: I likes the fight part two! Thanks for the review!  
**

**Tabitha Black: Got that right Magneto is SCREWED! Rogue kicks but!  
**

**1983Sarah: With Rogue and her mutation their is almost always struggling before she can control it. Thanks for the review!  
**

**Midnight Lost: Believe me, Rogue may calm down this time, but she will get darker.  
**

**Ophelia193: Your right, Rogue is one of the only people that can hold their own against Magneto and come out alive.  
**

**Powerpad5: Glad you enjoyed the chapter!  
**

**Guitarhero097: Yeah it's been almost a month(about 22 days to be exact) I'll try no to leave you guys hanging often.  
**


	7. Babysitter?

"Charles, I've sent an appeal to the courts in Washington, I'm not likely to get a reply for at least two weeks." Moria informed him sadly.

The room was nearly empty save for the two bodies that drank tea and watched the sun rise over the snowy grounds of the Xavier Institute.

Professor X sighed and continued to stare out the window at the fresh snow. "Thank you Moira, but I'm concerned whether or not this issue will be able to wait. New mutants are being exposed daily, our numbers are growing, this frightens and worries the government."

"And we both know what fear leads to." Moria added.

"Yes, irrational hatred." Professor X agreed. "How is Magnus doing?" Moria asked hesitantly. "He was here, he suffered through the last near genocide, when irrational hatred last reared it's ugly head."

Professor X closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"He's been silent about these matters, but I recognize that look in his eyes." He faced Moira once again. "He knows the situation is getting worse, and I can see that he would like nothing more than to re-establish the Acolytes and go back to doing what_ Magneto_ does best."

"And what are_ you_ going to do Charles?"

For the first time since the private meeting in his office, Professor Xavier smiled.

"For now, I've devised a little distraction."

"What would that be?"

"Doing what _Erik _does best."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Professor Xavier chuckled to himself, not at all bothered by the interruption. "Perfect timing."

* * *

Rogue continued to glare at the man she fought with nearly an hour ago. He, stubbornly stared straight ahead at the door, choosing to ignore her.

_'Bastard.' _ Rogue thought angrily. He was no longer bleeding, and his cheeks weren't red, so it was safe to say he'd recovered from her...assault? Attack? Violation?

_'He started it.'_ She reasoned with herself. _'Oh, listen to me I sound just like him!' _She inwardly groaned. _"Who's fault would that be?"  
_Rogue nearly jumped.

_'Shut up, Erik.' _She thought.

_"No." _The fragment hissed.

_'Look I get it that your pissed-'_

_"Pissed?!" _He nearly yelled at her_.  
_

_"I was violated, attacked, and you are hardly getting a punishment!"  
_

_"So that's it? You want to see me suffer?" _She asked.

_"You repeatedly violated me."_

_'And you didn't answer my question, do you want me to suffer?'  
_

_"You throw that word around so easily, as though suffering would be the result of completing an essay.'  
_

Rogue rolled her eyes._ 'I get it, you want to see me punished, but you don't want to see me suffering too badly.' _She said mockingly.

_"You and I know what suffering is, Anna Marie." _The fragment said slowly. _"You were suffering when you woke up screaming and shaking a year ago because you had re-lived a few days of _my_ suffering."_

_'Shut up, dammit.' _Rogue thought as images of what he'd seen flashed through her head. The bodies, the ashes, the pain.

_"No Anna, not until you acknowledge it." _

_'Acknowledge what, Erik? That what you went through was terrible? That I deserve to be punished?'  
_

A single tear made it's way down her cheek.

_"I want you to acknowledge that you did wrong, despite the fact that you were taunted."_ He fragment whispered softly. _"Do you understand now?"_

"Rogue?" Erik asked confused.

She turned wiped the tear away. She carefully studied his face. He was confused. "Just...one of the fragments hit me with the hard truth." She told him. His expression became curious.

"You hold enough of a persona in your mind to have conversations with them?" He asked.

"Mmmmhhmm." She answered. "Like a mini you running 'round inside my head."

"And I'm sorry for, attacking you. And I realize I do deserve punishment."

She turned away from him, not wanting to look at his shocked expression, instead she wondered whether it was because she'd apologized, or because she'd given him an answer to something he hadn't asked out loud.

"Erik, Rogue you can come in now." Professor X's voice broke the silence.

* * *

Finally settled on the couch next across from the Professor and Moria MacTaggart Rogue tried her best not to fidget.

"I've come up with a proper punishment for the two of you." Professor Xavier said warmly. "Your going to take the younger students on a little Christmas field trip to Canada."

Erik chocked on the tea he was drinking, and Rogue's mouth dropped open.

"We are X-Men Charles! Not chaperons."

"Do I look like a babysitter to you Prof?"

The Professor chuckled, clearly amused. "You didn't act like X-Men today, Erik, and for the next three days you are going to be chaperons and or babysitters, whichever term you prefer.

"And I thought Erik was manipulative." Rogue muttered to herself.

"Excuse me, Rogue?" Professor Xavier said startled. "Are you comparing me to him?"

_'Crap did I say that out loud?'_

_"Yes, you did."_

"You know Professor, sometimes you don't realize how much you two are alike." Both men were staring at her as though she were possessed again.

"Really? How so?" Moira asked.

"Let's see, similar goals, can be manipulative and subtle about it-oh, don't glare at me Professor you know it's true."

"You may have different ways of getting it done, but it's the same goal in the end."

_"Like two sides of the same coin."_ The fragment supplied.

"Yes, exactly. Two sides of the same coin."

Now Moira was staring at her funny too.

_'What? The know it's true what are they lookin' at me like that for?'  
_  
_"Trust me, my dear, it's better if you not know right now."  
_

_'Why?' _She asked.

"Rogue perhaps it would be best if you went to pack your bags, you leave as soon as the students get back, which should be around twelve."

"Sure Prof." Rogue said awkwardly as she left the room.

_'What was that about?'_ She asked herself.

* * *

The door closed quietly and left the three adults still confused. "What did you say that girl's mutation was again, Charles?" Moira asked.

"She can drain one's life force through her skin." He answered as he crossed his fingers and thought deeply. "Well that explains the gloves, that's right you told me she couldn't control it. Put a boy in the coma with a touch of her finger."

"She also stores a bit of people's memories and persona's inside her mind after she absorbs a person, she can re-live them from the holder's point of view." Erik added as he tapped his fingers on the arm of the sofa.

"Interesting. Very interesting. How much of a person does she absorb?"

"I'm not sure." Professor X said worriedly. "Almost definitely more than she's letting on."

* * *

"At least I won't have to stick around here." Rogue said to herself as she finished packing her things. "But babysitting?" She asked.

Rogue groaned as she tossed herself onto her bed. "Now that's what I call a punishment." She looked at the clock. She still had three hours before kids even got back, and if this field trip went like the last dozen, they'd be at least an hour behind schedule.

_'Least I get to catch up on my sleep.'_ Rogue thought as she got underneath the blankets.

* * *

_"Rogue really should have studied for that test she had last week."  
_

_"Me schister should have eaten more!"  
_

_"Like,ugh, does she have to like wear depressing make-up all the time?"  
_

_"FIRE whoopy! Had it been me I would have set the Institute on FIRE!"_

_"Quiet bub! I am not in the mood to listen to this!"  
_

_"Yo, man, I gotta be stuck in the head of fuzzy's sister? Not cool bro."  
_

_"Would-you-shut-up-toad?"  
_

_"You shut up Pietro! Man this bums yo!"  
_

_"Would the both of you shut up?"  
_

_"Don't be like that cuddle-bumps!"  
_

_"Toad-that's-my-sister-your-taking-to!"  
_

_"Why on god's green earth must I be forced to listen to my annoying offspring? SILENCE ALL OF YOU!"_

* * *

Rogue rubbed her eyes as the knocking at her door became louder. "Come in." She called. She was met by the smiling face of Jamie. "Hey Rogue! Magneto sent me to get your bags! We're leaving in ten."

"Mmmkay, thanks Jamie." Rogue said as she rubbed her temples. Jamie made a few clone of himself that carried her bags out of the room. "Headache?" He asked.

"Yeah, major headache."

"I'll be sure to pack some Tylenol, see you down stairs!" The joyful boy bounced out of the room. Rogue smiled. "Cute kid, and useful too."

_"What he meant to say was that one of his "multiples" were going to pack Tylenol. Although I admit his power is resourceful._"

"Yeah unlike mine." She said out loud.

_"I consider being able to knock someone unconscious with the touch of your finger and know exactly what they were doing as well as store memories inside your head for later use is even more resourceful."_

_'I'm not able to knock _you _unconscious with ta touch of my finger.' _She growled, annoyed.

_"Of course not dear, you see being the most powerful mutant on the planet makes me the only exception."_

Rogue laughed as she got up out of bed and brushed her hair. "Great a road trip super powered kids that have tempers and little control. Not sure if kicking that bastard's ass was worth this!"

* * *

"Bezerker, your making my hair frizz!" Amara said angrily. "Sorry it's not like I have a lot of room here!" Bezerker tried to explain as he shifted in the crowded van.

_'At least as a chaperon I have a seat in the front.' _Rogue reasoned, smiling to herself.

"Well you'd better find room!" Amara threatened as one of her fists glowed red. "Jeez Magma, so irritable, is it that time of the month?" Bobby asked with a grin on his face.

"BOBBY DRAKE!" Amara shouted as both her hands turned to fire.

"Enough!" Magneto yelled. "Amara this van is not fire-proof, save it for when we get to the hotel, then you may do with Mr. Drake as you will."

Amara sighed loudly, but her flames died down. "Do you really think he's going to let her kill me?" Bobby whispered to Jamie, who shrugged.

"This traffic is taking forever!" Jubilee said loudly.

"Ummm, Mr. Magneto, sir." Jamie broke the silence. "Do you think you could, um, I don't know give the other cars a little push? As in off the highway and out of our way?"

"Jamie!" Jubilee said loudly.

"Don't tempt him Jamie." Rogue said with a smile on her face.

"As much as I would enjoy that, Jamie, I have a feeling Charles would be upset when he found out." Magneto chuckled.

"Was worth a shot." Jamie muttered.

* * *

Rogue settled in to her room. "I love being staff." Rogue said happily. "My own room, no more having to bunk."

"AHHH! I'm sorry Amara! I'm sorry!" She heard cries coming from outside. "Ahh, the sound of payback." Rogue chuckled to herself as she closed her drapes.

* * *

Chatter was dying down as students admired the gifts they'd bought one another. Rogue observed it all from a corner as she waited for him.

_'God, I hope he's happy went through a lot of trouble to find this.'_

Magneto entered the room quietly and took his seat in the armchair near the fire.

Jubilee, Amara, and Rahne shyly approached him. "Um, Magneto I got you something." Amara said hesitantly.

"So did I." Rahne said.

"But mine's better than both of theirs." Jubilee said as the girls handed his boxes.

Rogue shook her head as she watched the girls giggle and act like fools. She couldn't hear his replies and was silently grateful for that.

After the majority of the students left. Rogue decided it was time to give him her gift.

_'Like he can't already feel it.' _She thought to herself.

_'No point in waiting.' _Rogue reasoned as she approached him. "Consider this a peace offering." Rogue said as she held a small box to him.

For the first time that night he looked interested.

"Is this what I think it is, my dear?" He asked as the box floated out of her hands and into his. A metal cube emerged from it. He smiled warmly.

"Tell me, dear. Where did you find adamantium?" He said as it formed three spheres and moved around each other.

"It's the same stuff that's in Logan as you probably know, actually if you want to know the truth I stumbled on it by accident." Rogue began.

"Go on." He said, clearly interested. "I have a few of Logan's memories still lingering. I took a little visit to Alkali Lake, it's a few miles from here, and stumbled upon the lab were The Wolverine was born and given metal claws."

"I don't plan on going back anytime soon. Before Mr. Mad Doctor cleared out of there he put a ton of booby traps all over the place, but before I left I saw the metal and thought you might find it useful."

He stood up and tilted her chin upwards so she looked him in the eye. "I've been searching for adamantuim for years without success. Thank you very much, Rogue."

"Without a doubt the best Christmas present I've received in quite some time."

One of the metal spheres came down towards her and formed into three long wires. They weaved themselves into a elf-like bracelet. "It's so pretty and elegant." Rogue whispered.

"Rather simple, but pretty." He said as he took her hand. He gently opened her palm so it was flat. She offed no resistance, his gentle smile made it impossible.

He gently laid the bracelet into the palm of her hand. "Consider this an early Christmas present." He whispered, his lips close to her ear. He pressed his lips to her temple for a few seconds, but pulled back before the pull of her deadly power kicked in.

Rogue was too shocked to say anything. But by the time she'd finally come to her senses Erik and the two little spheres were gone.

* * *

**Merry Christmas! For all those of you out there wondering why I hadn't updated sooner it was because I wanted a Christmas chapter! **

**Hmm so what do you think? **

**The next chapter will be on New Years!  
**

**The next chapter will have romance and learning what Rogue's wants called. I tried to work with the memories, I really did. I thought about putting Magda in this chapter but decided against it. All for the best I hope.  
**

**GenoBeast: Rogue's telepathic abilities are going to be brought up in later chapters, thanks for reviewing and Merry Christmas!  
**

**tx peppa: Glad you liked the danger room fight, I love to write about Rogue kicking Magneto's butt.  
**

**Christa4ever: Thanks for your input on her name, Merry Christmas!  
**

**Midnight Lost: Thanks for your review!  
**

**Batty QUEEN: Thanks for your review!  
**

**Angelpaint07: Pssst. Wanna know a spoiler? We're getting some Rogneto romance in the New Year's chapter!  
**

**Marigab: Thanks so much for the info on why Rogneto is hated, it really cleared some things up, and your right Erik is the only important "canon" lover rogue ever had, and vice versea, Rogue was the mother of three of his kids in alternate realities.  
**

**1983 Sarah: Glad you liked it thanks for your review!  
**

**bloodshark: Thanks for your review!  
**

**Sanny: I get now why Rogento is hated,(see Marigab's comment, it explains it all) and actually Rogue had two sons(Charles and Magnus) and one daughter(Plague) together. Three kids! And they all are super powerful.  
**

**Guitarhero097: Thanks for your review! I'll update soon.  
**

**Powerpad: Actually I was waiting for a Christmas chapter, don't worry I won't leave you hanging that long again, next chapter is gonna be on New Years.  
**


	8. Manifest Part 1

**Spoiler Alert: For all of you wondering out there, Rogue is supposed to be acting weird!**

Rogue sat down on a bench during her free hour. _'I love it when it's like this.' _ She thought to herself. _'Nobody around.'_

"Hey Skunk Head, shouldn't you be in gym like the rest of your mutie friends right now?"

_'Oh, hell.' _Rogue turned to face the same asshole that had broken Kurt's image inducer, and that had taunted Spyke. He was a senior like her, but you'd never be able to guess with the way he behaved. This was at least the third time he'd called her a skunk, not that he remembered the first time, thanks to Jean's telepathy.

"You know it's really none of your business!" Rogue shouted back. "You and your stupid mutie friends think we should all be afraid of you don't you? Yeah, well I got news for you mutie, we anit!"

_'I'm to damn tired to deal with this shit right now.'_ She thought angrily. _'Why can't this asshole leave me alone?'_

The boy got closer until he was up in Rogue's face. "If I were you I wouldn't get that close." She warned. _'Cause I might knock you out, and I really don't want any part of you in my head.'_

"Just keep yer' fuckin distance and everything will be ok." She said as she slipped her glove off. "You don't tell me what to do!" He said as he reached for her bare wrist.

"Big mistake." Rogue said before he fell to the ground unconscious. _'That's weird, I should hear his voice inside my head.'_ But Rogue shrugged it off and landed a hard kick to the boy's stomach.

_'Where did that come_ _from?'_ She asked herself.

_**'Well you'd best make it look like he got into a fight or teachers are gonna get suspicious.'** _The voice said helpfully. _'Your right.'_ She thought as she landed another kick, this time to his nose. A small bit of blood came out.

**_'Why not_ _another?'_** The voice asked. "Don' see why not." Rogue said out loud in a slurred voice.

She kicked him hard in his chest again. _'Mmm. Now I'm really tired.'_ She thought as she stumbled backwards. _'I have the key to the institute van, maybe I could crash there for a while.'_

* * *

"Hey, Rogue, you ok?" Kitty asked hesitantly when they got back to the institute. Rogue kept her face pointed straight ahead and closed her eyes. "Mmmmhhhmmm."

Rogue, unlike the others, headed for her room, unfortunate for her Kitty blocked her path.

"It's just that, I heard you got into a fight with Magneto, and lately your either biting someone's head off, or letting them walk all over you. Not to mention skipping half your classes."

"It's like your bi-polar or something."

Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Kitty get out of my way." She practically growled the words. "I want to go to my room."

"Why? You usually do your homework outside or in the library, or the living room." Kitty persisted.

"Well today I'm taking a little change in my schedule. I'm not gonna be doing my homework, I'm gonna be sleeping." Then in a slightly angrier voice she ordered Kitty to move again.

"Rogue what is with you?" Kitty asked as Rogue made her way down the hallway. Rogue didn't answer and she didn't turn around as she opened her door. "You missed the training exercise today because you slept in!"

Rogue didn't answer, and instead slammed her door shut.

_'Where is this all this coming from?'_ She asked herself as she laid down on her bed. _'Kitty is one of my best friends.'_

"Maybe it's just the result of an absorbtion." She mumbled. **_'Whatever you say to make yourself feel_ _better.'_** The voice said playfully.

**_'Little lies, remember? Lies you would tell yourself to make yourself feel better.'_**

_'What's that supposed to mean?' _Rogue asked angrily. **_'Have you considered that this is who you are?'_**The voice asked. **_'Angry, bitter, defensive, aggressive, soul sucking monster.'_**

"Stop it!" Rogue shouted. _'This is exactly what I don't want to hear!'_

'**_Why? Beacuse it's true?'_**The voice laughed. **_'Monsters suck life, they take it drain, kill, steal, whichever you prefer, but your still one of_ them.'**

Tears rolled down Rogue's face. "Soul-sucking monster." She whispered aloud. _'Is that what I am?'_

Sleep didn't come easily that night, and when it did, it was after dinner and the training session that she'd missed.

* * *

_A teenage girl crept quietly through the noisy streets. She tried not to be seen, the less witnesses the better. __She came up from behind a boy her age. She could hear his satchel clank together with the sound of money inside.  
_

_Carefully she reached out and took hold of it. The girl gently worked to unhook it. Finally it was loose and the white haired thief had her prize. The boy though seemed to notice the loss of weight and turned around. But the girl had already melted into the crowd.  
_

_She laughed as she hid behind a building and opened the small satchel. She pulled out one of the coins, expecting to see bronze, or if she were lucky, silver. Instead she found a gold piece.  
_

_"Gold?" She said to herself. "Yes!" She said as she dug around inside the bag some more. "They are all gold!"  
_

_"Indeed they are thief." A smooth voice came from behind her.  
_

_It was the boy she'd stolen it from.  
_

_"You call me a thief?" She asked. "It seems as though I am not the only thief here, where did you get gold coins?" She asked slyly. "It doesn't matter, I need them more than you do." She said, not bothering to wait for his response.  
_

_"Give them back!" The boy said angrily. "How dare you call me a thief! I am Prince T'Challa of Wakanda!"  
_

_That made the girl stop dead. "And I am Princess Ororo of Kenya."  
_

_T'Challa sighed. "I have no time for games, give me the money back."  
_

_T-Challa held his hand out moving his fingers patiently waiting for Ororo to give the satchel back._

_"I am not playing games! I was once a princess and a goddess!" Ororo said as she crossed her arms and glared. "Alright your highness, now give me back the money!" T-Challa clearly didn't believe that the girl was once a princess, or regarded as a goddess.  
_

_"What is going on out here?" Came an obnoxiousness voice as the door to the house opened. "Do you have my money, you white haired brat?"  
_

_Ororo clutched the sachet terrified. "Amahl." Was all she could say._

* * *

Rogue groaned as she heard the sound of her alarm clock go off. _'I'd better go to the training session today.' _She thought as she rolled out of bed. "Damn that was a bizarre dream, felt weird too. Like I wasn't dreaming. Oh hell, I'd better get to the danger room."

When Rogue did finally get to the observation deck to observe her teammates she was at least an hour late.

"Strips!" She heard Logan yell from behind her. "You didn't show up at all yesterday, and you show up late today. Kurt and Kitty told me you didn't show up to half your classes yesterday. This not how a leader acts! Rogue, your supposed to be setting the example, and lately you've been doing everything _but_ that."

Rogue turned to face him with an angry look in her eye.

"Piss off mongrel." Rogue hissed.

"What did you just say to me?" Logan asked. "I said to piss off animal." Rogue responded angrily.

"Rogue what the hell has gotten into you?" Logan asked as he took a step closer. "Maybe Chuck was wrong, maybe it was a mistake to make you leader."

Something in Rogue's blood ran cold as he said those words. To Rogue, it seemed like time stopped. A persistent humming in her head got louder. She could feel the weight, feel the singing, and she could feel the weight of Logan's metal coated bones.

* * *

"So hopefully today's lesson on restraint goes better that last time, I don't want any trips to the infirmary this time, an no mutant volleyball." Beast said as a net raised up out of the ground.

"Ready,set-

"GAAAAHHHH!" Logan hollered as he came crashing through the window and landed on the danger room floor.

At first no one moved. "Wolverine?" Beast asked as he went to help him up. "What happened?" Bezerker asked as he looked up to the control center.

The glass above them shattered. "Cover you heads!" Beast called as the students ran. Jubilee was the first to reach the danger room door.

"We're trapped in!" Jubilee shouted as she frantically pounded on the door.

Meanwhile downstairs the Professor was having some issues of his own.

He gasped shocked as he completed his mental scan of the school. "No." He whispered. _'New students, remain in the danger room, Erik, Jean, Scott, and Storm report to my office immediately! This is an emergency!'_

Professor Xavier wheeled himself out of his office and into the foyer and waited. When she finally emerged out of the elevator she was confronted by the leader of the X-men and her mentor.

Rogue gave him a sinister smirk that didn't belong to her. Her eyes turned white with red rim, it looked like red eyeliner that his female students were so fond of.

Her skin looked paler than it should have been, and Professor Xavier noticed that her fingers twitched with a slight blue spark.

"Rogue, we need to speak."

* * *

**This is part one of the Manifest "arc" that shows a darker Rogue. Sorry this chapter is kind of short I'm short on time, and this chapter came a little sooner than I expected. The next chapter will be at _least_ twice as long.**

**Sorry, no time for reader review response, short on time.**


	9. Manifest Part 2

"Rogue I can see something has gone terribly wrong when the mental barriers were removed...as well as your recent absorptions." Professor x said carefully. The reminders on what happened nine months ago were resurfacing. Charles Xavier was no fool. His telepathy is largely responsible for his intellect and understanding of mutant powers. He's observed every bit of information carefully after her concert out burst. Rogue took memories, intimately re-lived them, that was what was responsible for her unique ability to amplify a mutants power and wield it better than they could.

With such a great power within such an untrained girl it was cause for concern. When he first entered her mind he saw that it was most different from others. The mind is a beehive, full of twists and turns, it is most certainly not a box.

Rogue's mind was a labyrinth of beehives, one for each person she's touched. Quite possibly more complicated than his own, and he was the most powerful telepath on the planet.

With her intimate power and her young age, shady background, and instability Xavier had to justify to know one why he had locked up the physics, fragments, and memories.

It was for the better. But once you cage the beasts, they tend to get angry. Rogue's mind could easily be compared to a dangerous and complex beast.

**_"Silence you blithering fool."_**Rogue's lips moved, but it was evident this was not her voice. It lacked her accent, her sarcasm, and her use of language.**_ "Now out of my way, or I will use this vessel to remove you permanently this time."_**

Xavier's eyes widened into fear, fear he had rarely expressed. He was a telepath, rarely was he surprised at anything. There were a number of possibilities he had in his mind. Magneto's psyche could have taken control, or this could be Rogue's way of rebelling, but he now realizes this was wishful thinking.

"Apocalypse." He whispered. **_"So you have realized your mistake I take it?" _**The voice of the ruler taunted. **_"You should have purified her mind again, of the plagues, then I have no doubt you would have discovered me, but no, you took the easy route. You blocked us."_**

"What is it you want apocalypse?"

**_"Fool what do you think I_** **want?"** The voice spat. **_"Control and revenge of the child that slayed my living form and forced a fragment of myself to live in her body to start with."_**

"It is hardly Rogue's fault your in her mind, you touched her, you put yourself there."

Apocalypse chose to ignore that comment. **_"Then I will proceed to take over this planet, and with me in control of the Messiah for Mutants and Humans alike, the "Chosen one" as your students would call her, will not stop me this time."_**

"What do you mean mutants? I realize she saved humans from your devices, but mutants?" He asked, trying to hide his worry by using curiosity.

**_"I never did reveal my other plans did I?"_**He asked with a smirk. **_"When I take over the planet only the most powerful shall survive. Survival of the fittest. Magneto, yourself, and Class Three mutants and above shall live all others will die, and I will start with the humans."_**

"That-that is barbaric." Xavier cried disbelieving. "You own kind?!" He demanded.

**_"Did you expect anything else? I am not Magneto, while I do kill for the sake of my own kind, I have no qualms with killing the weak mutants, survival of the fittest."_**

"How did you even manage this? Last time Rogue lost control, it took all the psyches at once. Rogue's mind is powerful one psych alone can not take over her." Xavier said as his eyes lowered.

Now Rogue was smiling she gave a sickening chuckle. **_"Oh you fool Xavier. Would you like to hear how I dripped poison into the girl's ears? You might had been proud about how long she resisted. But Rogue is an Omega Level mutant. You know what that feels like. Electrifying, addicting, like nothing you've ever experienced before. Eventually she had to use it, and use it like a starved girl, which she was."_**

**_"But I can see your stalling so I will leave before I am forced to kill Magneto, Storm, and Jean Grey. It would be such a waste of power to kill them."_**

With that Rogue carelessly waved her hand and Xavier's chair flew backwards and the front doors broke off.

_**"I will be seeing you soon I imagine, if you were wise you would pledge your allegiance to me, if not for yourself, for the sake of your students."**_

* * *

The cold unwelcoming hallway sang to him as Apocalypse used Rogue's body to further his own goals. He had no trouble getting into the base and wasted no time.

**_"Good evening Dr._** **Essex."** He bloomed loudly and interrupted the man keeling over the microscope. Bright, bloodshot eyes stared across the room at him. Fascination glittering in the mad doctor.

"So it is possible. Chosen one indeed, Irene was right. I only regret it was not me to get their hands on the girl. But enough of the past, please my lord have a seat." He gestured at one of the chairs.

"And let me examine you I need to be sure you are not in any harm being in the girl's body." He added.

Apocalypse sighed angrily. **_"Essex I've no time for games, you may take the child's DNA later and run all the tests you'd like, but for now I want to see progress on my army."_**Clearly seeing what Essex really wanted.

"But of course my lord, this way."

Essex lead him into a warm room that glowed light green. Large containment filters and artificial wombs filled the room. In some there were floating babies, young and premature. In others there were full grown adults twitching in their sleep.

**_"And they have been given command chips in their mind?"_** Apocalypse asked. "But of course. We are nearly ready."

* * *

"Apocalypse?!" Scott shouted angrily. "We just finished with him and how he's taken over Rogue's body, who can somehow wield all of our powers at once...again!"

"Charles we know what happened the last time Rogue was able to do this." Beast said worriedly.

"You mean we got our asses kicked and could have died?" Evan said sarcastically. "Yeah teach, we all remember that happening."

"Professor we were not able to stop her last time." Jean said worriedly. "Ms. Grey would you please do me a favor and tell us something useful, preferably something we are NOT aware of." Magneto hissed at her.

"Enough Erik. Tensions are running high, but I have a theory on how we can stop her." Xavier said.

"Well out with it, every second we waste here is a second wasted on not taking Apocalypse down!" Iceman yelled.

"I'm getting to that." Xavier sighed. "This problem started in the mind and that is where it must end, on the astral plane of Rogue's mind."

The room went silent. Erik was nodding thoughtfully.

"What in ze hell is that?!" Kurt asked.

"Language Kurt." Professor X remarked sternly. "I realize your sister is in danger and this angers you, but anger will not solve anything at this point."

"An astral plane is...to put it into terms for you to understand it will be a battle of the minds, in the mind, Rogue's to be specific." Magneto supplied.

"Yes, we will divide into two assault teams to deal with Apocalypse, for an assault on both fronts. Magneto, Kurt, and Logan will be on the first team to assault Apocalypse physically. Scott, Jean, myself, and Kitty will be on the second team battling for Rogue's mind."

"Professor I don't think I will be able to attack my own swister." Kurt said sadly.

"Kurt your job is to watch Magneto and Wolverine's back and should something go wrong get them out. Kitty and Scott's job will be to defend Jean and I while our minds are on the astral plane."

"What are the rest of us going to do?" Evan asked.

"Apocalypse will not be alone, the rest of you will fight whatever he dares to throw at us."

* * *

The jet ride was nearly intolerable as most students fidgeted in their seats remembering the last time Apocalypse rose. When they finally did reach their destination, tracking the home calling beacon that is in every X-Men uniform, Professor Xavier, for the second time that day got a nasty shock.

"Essex!" He called out loudly. "Nathanial Madman Essex."

* * *

_(Flashback)  
_

_Though he knew it was wrong, he still couldn't resist. The 11-year old boy was far from perfect, and knew his father had been lying to him. For the past five years it's been the same. _

_First his father had re-located his family to America, then never stayed long, when he did come home. Always making trips to Europe and Asia. Little Charles could see something relentless in his father's eye as he would lock himself away studying papers and maps, looking for something, then leaving again. When he did come home he was always angry and disappointed fiddling away at his diary. _

_His father was obsessed and often retired to the library with a bottle of Brandy or Scotch. _

_Charles was careful not to wake his father as he tugged at the book in his lap. Carefully he opened to the latest entry._

_May 15, 1959_

_I have once again failed, Essex escaped only days before I arrived this time. I admit to growing weary chasing this madman down, from England to Buda-Pest to Turkey to France where he has made his latest escape. And as always, left behind a disaster of pain and horror._

_It is always the same, I arrive at his new lab with the authorizes to find tortured souls chained and imprisoned. Experimented on like animals. Some with deformities, altered appearance, and some clearly failed and left to is never there.  
_

_Sometimes I wonder how the man lives with himself, though I imagine he is not man anymore. A monster, yes an obsessed monster who will stop at nothing to feed his knowledge, it doesn't matter who he hurts or kills._

_It reminds me of his poor wife, his first victim. He cared about her enough not to kill her, as he did others but I am told the broken hearten women has not spoke a word since he left. Sometimes I find children in the cells, sometimes alive, sometimes not._

_He will never cease, and neither can I, for the sake of these innocents. I need the help of alcohol to close my eyes every night. I know it is not healthy, but with any luck I will sleep peacefully and pray I never see my son in one of those cells, whether I am dreaming or otherwise._

* * *

It would be years until Charles Xavier fully understood his father, and his father's diary. And even longer until he had the capabilities to take on his fathers war. But now, for the first time in a long time, Charles Xavier has that opportunity to finish what his father started.

* * *

**So what do you think? Do you like that I've added Essex in there? _  
_**

**The next chapter is going to be a battle called "War on Two Fronts".**

**So has anyone read the Uncanny Avengers? The second one was my favorite Rogue and Wanda should have a book to themselves. There was an awful lot of name calling in that issue.**

**(Rogue to Wanda):"Nut-job!"**

**(S-Man to Rogue):"Your lover Magneto henchmen..."**

**(Red Skull talking to Wanda about Rogue): "Your fathers whore."**

******(Wanda to Rogue): "Terrorist Scum!"  
**

******And by the way the fifth book has a new artist(thank god) and in the preview Rogue was having an argument with Wasp, I can't wait to see that!**

******Anyway RR Time!:**

******Margab: Yep, did I shock you with what "the voice" was? Thanks for reviewing!**

******Angelpaint07: More dark Rogue coming up! Thanks for reviewing!**

******Ophelia193: Thanks not really sure which approach to go with on Rogue's personalities. Thanks for reviewing!**

******iiiEatPandaBear: Thanks for encouragement and thanks for reviewing.**

******AnnaBL: Glad your enjoying dark Rogue more of that coming up! Thanks for reviewing. **

******Saany: Sorry about the cliffie! Hope you like this chapter.**

******1983Sarah: More Dark Rogue coming up! Thanks for reviewing.**

******ReginaSlytherin: Thank you so much for all your input! It really helped. And thanks for reviewing. **


	10. War on Two Fronts

"Storm accompany Iceman, Spyke, and Cannonball down to the lower area of the base, find his lab and destroy whatever Essex is currently working on." The white haired African nodded and motioned for the younger X-Men to follow her as they disappeared down the corridor.

"Magneto, can you sense anything that is cause for concern?" Professor X asked asked quietly. Magneto's fingers coiled as light blue sparks erupted from them. His eyes narrowed.

"Apocalypse's armor is made of a very distinct and rare metal, I could feel it a mile away. He's modified it to fit Rogue." His eyes closed as he concentrated harder. "Charles...

He started. "Yes, I can feel iron, artificial iron. The type found in bio-molecular fluid."

Xavier's eyes narrowed as he sighed angrily. "I'm sorry, but what is bio-molecular fluid?" Jean asked innocently. Magneto's teeth were clenched. "Bio-molecular fluid is often used for extreme surgeries such as the ones Wolverine and his kindred spirit X-23 went through."

"Professor I thought you said Essex was a geneticist, not a surgeon." Jean's confused voice didn't save her from the amount of anger lingering in the room.

"It also serves as an artificial womb for clones. Do also you need me to explain what a clone is Ms. Grey? A cheap monstrosity made because the original was unsatisfactory. An exact duplicate of whoever or whatever the original being is or was."

Magneto was hissing angrily. "Yes, and the bio-fluid is most likely being used as the latter of the two reasons someone would use bio-fluid." Professor Xavier agreed.

"Magneto how close are the clones?"

"Being housed thirty yards away from us...Rogue is in the room as well."

Professor Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Shadowcat phase Scott into the room on my mark, and at the same time Magneto will bring the walls down around us. Jean, are you linked with the portable cerebro?"

"I am Professor."

"Good, X-Men prepare yourself...Magneto now!"

* * *

"Surprise Herr Essex! The X- Men have arrived!" Kurt announced as he pounced on top of the man covered in black with a sparkling diamond in the middle of his forehead. "Give me back my schister!" He yelled as teleported Sinister to the top of the high ceiling.

Metal bars wrapped around Sinister before he fell to his death. "We shall deal with ze likes of you scum after we rescue Rogue." He added before he joined Magneto and Wolverine on the ground.

"Where's Rogue?" Wolverine asked. As the others glanced around the room.

It was an empty lab. "I thought you said there were clones in here?" Wolverine growled as he sniffed the air. "They've moved below us, most likely to intercept the other X-Men that are currently hacking into Sinister's files and destroying his work."

"That's wonderful bub, now I'm gonna ask you again, where is Rogue?"

Ten yards away Scott and Kitty formed a human barrier around Jean and Professor X. "I can sense his presence, Rogue's spirit is fading, Apocalypse now has full control of her body. He's close X-Men."

_"Closer than you think." _A telepathic voice whispered across the room, projecting to everyone. "Oooh, that sends shivers down my spine." Shadowcat commented the other mutants glanced around the room. "Stop playing childish games Apocalypse! Show yourself!" Magneto yelled.

_"As you wish."_ A dark figure phased out of the ceiling floorboards and menacingly floated above the X-Men.

What Magneto said was true Apocalypse had modified his armor to fit Rogue. He changed his normal gray simple armor and added a gold coating. He'd molded it to be an Egyptian style tube top across Rogue's chest, barely covering her modesty. He'd also taken Egyptian loin cloth and blended it with gold underwear the loin cloth came short at her knees. The pure gold plating was a beautiful contrast with her pale skin.

Rogue's eyes still glowed white with red rim, the only change was that now her entire body was radiating with blue magnetic energy.

"Oh, man get ready for the fight of our lives." Shadowcat whispered to Scott as Rogue smiled menacingly.

* * *

"What do we have Auntie O?" Spyke asked as Iceman touched a few buttons on a large container that contained murky blue water. "Robert don't touch anything!" Storm chastised as she continued to type. turning to her nephew she sighed frustrated. "I'm not sure Evan, I'm just downloading as much as I can before we destroy this awful place."

"You know it's really not so bad once you get used to the weird equipment." Iceman said as he admired needles containing all sorts of different liquids. "Hey Evan you think he was making zombies down here?" Iceman asked. "Seems like the sorta thing a mad doctor would do right?" He quickly lost amusement with the needles and went back to the container with the murky water.

Iceman took a quick glance at Storm before he tapped on the glass. "You know dude it doesn't take a genius mad doctor to create zombies Bobby." Spyke pointed out. "Any ammeter can do it all you'd need to do is cross the AIDS virus with human rabies and presto!"

"Can human's get rabies?" Iceman asked as he hit a green button on the container. "I'll bet big bad Mr. Sinister could find a way to make humans act like wild animals with foam at the mouth." Spyke said as he shrugged.

"You know if there ever was a Zombie Apocalypse you'd be the dude that I tripped so I could get away." Spyke said honestly. "Evan!" Storm chastised. "What an awful thing to say." She commented.

Iceman turned away from the controls and leaned against the container. "Aww, man that's cold, even colder than my body temperature."

Unknown to Iceman he was actually leaning against the controls and had accidentally activated a button, which started beeping loudly.

Storm tuned away from the computer. "Oh no. Iceman I told you not to touch anything!" She shouted as she turned back to the computer and started typing frantically. "I'm almost finished with the information! It will be up to the two of you to fend off whatever comes our way."

"Nice Drake, you probably just announced to all of Essex's crazy experiment's we are down here stealing his shit!" Evan shouted angrily. "It wasn't me!" Iceman protested. Unfortunately for them they had no time to argue as the glass container broke, spilling blue murky water all over the lab.

"I just had this suit dry cleaned!" Iceman yelled angrily as he stood up and shook himself off. "Oh, who knows what's in that stuff!" He commented as he continued to squirm. "Dude, your suit is the last of our problems." Spyke said as he pointed to a deformed sea creature that seemed to have long, tan human legs. "Whoa, cool it's a creature from the island of Dr. Moroe!"

* * *

_(Astral Plane of Rogue's Mind...Somewhere...Sometime)_

_"Professor it's so crowded." Jean spoke softly. "Unbelievable...Rogue still contains a psyche of everyone she touched during the Apocalypse Rising incident. And I used to think my type of crazy was bad." _

_"Indeed Jean. It is a never ending maze, build up of other mazes, and it's very disorganized, which isn't going to help us at all." Professor Xavier agreed._

_"Do we even know where we are?" She asked. "Professor this could possibly take weeks just to go through all of this, let alone organize it so we could find Apocalypse." _

_"No Jean, it WOULD take weeks to go through all of this. We haven't the time. Concentrate on scanning with me so we can find Apocalypse." _

_"Professor I don't think we need to scan anything." Jean pointed to a merge of pure energy erupting from the top of their heads. "There." Xavier pointed. "There is where he is."_

_Professor Xavier stood out of his wheel chair and wielded a telepathic soul sword. Jean copied his choice of weapon. _

_"Attack him!" Xavier shouted. The two telepaths charges at the energy with all their might. Jean was forcefully thrown backwards before she even reached the beacon of energy. Professor Xavier lasted a while longer, though not by much.  
_

_"Professor I don't understand you are the most powerful telepath on the planet, why can't you stop him?" Jean whispered as tears formed around her eyes. "I-I-" Professor Xavier stuttered._

_"Yes of course!" He said suddenly. "Jean we need to re-think our strategy. Apocalypse isn't a natural telepath, so he must be getting fire-power like this from somewhere...some other source. This isn't his domain, there is no possible way he could be doing this himself."_

_"Wait, that's it professor, this isn't his domain..that means he doesn't have the advantage. And if this is not our domain we don't have the advantage either. But, the answer is staring us right in the face, we need to find Rouge!"_

_Professor Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, of course. But where to start?" He asked as he once again turned to the maze. "It's not just memories in there Jean, thoughts, feelings, emotions, fears. Everything about people she's touched is in there. That means there are literally millions if not billions of places Rogue could be hiding."_

_"You think she's hiding?" Jean asked.  
_

_"After an attack like that it _must_ have left her traumatized. She would be forced to retreat into an area where she felt safe, where she could heal properly."_

_"I don't know anything about Rogue Professor, she never shared her favorite color let alone her deepest emotions of what she was afraid of and where she felt safe." Jean signed as she rubbed her temples together._

_Professor Xavier thought deeply for several minutes. "I've rarely been inside Rogue's mind, her absorptions and memory gathering make it almost impossible, but when I have I discovered Rogue had a great amount of integrity. She never purposely went through anyone else's memories. When she did involuntarily re-live an experience, it was the majority of the time never a pleasant one."_

_"Figures with that girls luck." Jean commented. "But what your saying is that she's most likely in one of her own memories."_

_"Yes."_

_"Okay then, lets rule out possibilities, Rogue has-and pardon my language professor-but she has been in hell since her mutantation emerged. So we know it's probably not going to be within the past three to four years."_

_The Professor signed regretfully. "She has." He quickly turned his thoughts back to the task at hand and away from his most wayward student's misery. "Perhaps in her younger years when she was a child?" He asked._

_"Seems like a good place to start." Jean nodded. "Now all we have to do is find _her_ memories."_

* * *

"Wow that's cool, say little and ugly can you do anything special?"_  
_

"Bobby, man get away from that thing!"

"Aw common, Evan what's this little piece of dog crap's not gonna do- AHHHH!"

"Holy-"

"Evan KILL IT! KILL IT! IT'S EATING MY LEG!"

Spyke shot spikes at the creature over and over. "It's got tough skin man."

"KILL IT!" Bobby howled in pain. Evan lifted up his foot to reveal several little spikes and brought it down hard on the creature that had attached itself to Bobby's leg. It twitched a few times but it's grip relaxed and supposedly died.

By this time Storm had finished her download and had shot lightning blots at the entire system, effectively putting it six feet under to party with the mutant creature that tried to eat Iceman.

"I'm calling Beast, the two of you get to the Blackbird and set up a communique with him and get the first aid kit. I had better assist our friends with Apocalypse."

"We're gonna miss out on the biggest battle of the century?" Iceman asked disbelieving. "Auntie O that's not fair!" Evan joined in.

"Enough the both of you!" Storm ended the arguing. "Iceman is injured and needs to be treated watch him Evan." Storm ordered as she made her way above. The boys sorrowfully started limping back to the Blackbird.

"You just had to mess with the buttons and just had to pet the failed experiment didn't you?" Spyke asked.

* * *

_(Astral Plane of Rogue's Mind...Rogue's Memories...Her Ninth Birthday) _

_"We're not having much success." Xavier informed Jean as they watch a small girl blow out candles. "You know she was kind of cute when she was younger." Jean grinned. _

_"But your right, we're not having much luck." She agreed. "Wait a moment." Xavier put his hands to his temples. "Jean perhaps try upstairs in Rogue's room." _

_Jean hesitantly pushed the door open to reveal a typical child's bedroom, if it wasn't for the white striped goth curled up in the middle of the floor on the purple carpet. "Rogue!" Jean rushed over and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder.  
_

_Rogue's head snapped up. "Your-your here." Rogue whispered, then she saw Xavier. "Professor." She whispered. "I'm so sorry." Rogue whispered. Professor Xavier sat down across from Rogue and Jean. _

_"Rogue if anyone should be sorry it was me. Even after all my years of training students I still let my arrogance get the best of me. I'm not perfect, contrary to the believe of many of the students. You were right when you compared me to Magneto, we share many qualities. And though I try my hardest I don't always succeed at ignoring my arrogance when it comes to powerful young mutants, and now is the time to accept my failure."_

_"Boy did you screw up with me." Rogue said with a smile. "Yes, Rogue, and I swear to you it's not a mistake I'm going to make twice."_

_"We need your help Rogue." Jean started. "Have you healed enough from your experiences?" Xavier asked. _

_Rogue nodded. "Yes, and I think I know ho wot stop him." She smiled. "My mind, my game."_

_"The fragments and memories of people are floating around here right?" Rogue asked. Jean nodded. "They look useless and annoying, but that's where the power actually is. If I can convince the psyches to help me-all of them- we stand a chance at taking Apocalypse down."_

_"I'm confused you can talk to the psyches?" Jean asked. "Yeah, and I know exactly what to say to get them to help us." Rogue grinned as they made their way towards the other memories.  
_

_"Look yall, bottom line if we don't stop Apocalypse he's going to kill your counterparts, the ones that don't live in my head." Rogue spoke to the others._

_"They don't look like they wanna help." Jean said._

_"I don't normally threaten his type of thing, but if there's a chance that I live and and that you live, I promise you I will unzip my mouth about all of yo dirty little secrets. Yall hear me?" Rogue asked. _

_"We're resorting to blackmail?" Jean asked angrily. "Jean dealing with psyches is like dealing with children, and since I have nothing to bribe them with all we have are threats." Rogue said reasonably. "I don't like it either, but we don't have a choice when the whole planet is at stake."_

_The psyches one by one, and grumbling, agreed to help. Slowly but surly Rogue gained power when they stopped fighting her. _

_It was almost like absorbing someone. Feeling the rush of their powers flowing through her like different forms of energy. All binding together, working together, being able to feel everything. "Feels good." Rogue whispered. "Like I'm myself again."_

_"Time to kick this son of a bitch out of my mind." She hissed._

_Soon only blinding white light was all that could be seen in Rogue's mind and in the real world. _

* * *

Silence echoed the room as Rogue dropped limp to the ground. Professor Xavier came out of his mental state with a gasp, and Jean collapsed in Scott's arms. The various X-Men took stock of their damages. Several bruises, cuts, and lots of blood. But no deaths, and one broken leg. Sinister was long gone, slunk back into the shadows where he belonged, and so the dream of stopping Mr. Sinister would have to wait another day.

Magneto was the first to move and pick Rogue up off the ground.

"Is it finished, Charles?" He asked as he cradled Rogue. "Yes, the fragment of Apocalypse is gone, the battle is over."

A relived sigh was let go from every member of the X-Men. "Let's go home." Shadowcat moaned. "And take a long vacation." She added.

Later on in the Blackbird Xavier looked over at Rogue's unconscious form and nodded thoughtfully to himself. "We are going to need a holiday, and to begin the training of my most wayward and powerful student."

* * *

**Took me a couple of hours, but here you go. Hope you enjoyed!  
**

**Preview: The X-Men return to Alkali Lake for some relaxation and Rogue starts her training in an abandoned Weapon X facility! And drum role please, some long awaited Rogue and Magneto romance! Also Rogue comes to terms with her darker side and confronts her darker desire.**

**RR Time!:**

**1983Sarah: Thanks for reviewing!**

**tx peppa: your right Rogue should be omega, I hope they evolve Rogue's powers in the Days of Future Past movie. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Angelpaint007: We will see the affects of darker Rogue soon and some romance...finally! Thank you for reviewing!**

**ReginaSyltherin: Thanks for your great input, always helps! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Marigab: Glad someone else is reading Uncanny Avengers! Hope Mangeto shows up sometime and Rogue and Wanda finally have their chance to arrest him. Thanks for reviewing!**

**darksaber92: Thanks for your review!**

**M.L: Glad you like the idea of Magneto and Rogue! Thanks for reviewing!**

**whylime: Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reviewing!**

**Midnight Lost: Thanks for reviewing!**


	11. And So It Begins

A week ago x-man Rogue's power had been finally been unlocked, and to the dismay of her mentor, Professor X, it confirmed his worst nightmares. The lone Goth resident of the mansion, his most unstable student, had power was not limited to skin that could kill. A week ago Rogue Darkholme battled Apocolypse for the second time and won, and had let loose power that was immeasurable and unlimited. Professor Xavier never voiced his thoughts on this particular student, though he much wished to. He hoped he'd never have to confront this power inside the girl, which was greater than he'd ever seen. Now he was being forced to. After several mind scans and medical attention to the team, the senior members of the X-Men decided to take a much need vacation to Alkali Lake, the same spot of the previous field trip with the new mutants.

Though much to the dismay of the X-Children something awful was about to happen.

"Chuck I thought you'd never ask!" Wolverine exclaimed. "Have you told them yet?" Professor Xavier smiled in amusement at the enthusiasm of the feral. "No Logan, I thought I'd leave that up to you."

The senior members of the team had gathered in the conference room of the hotel. "Professor are sure this is a wise move? Maybe we should wait another day." Jean suggested. "Not a chance Red, these kids need it." Logan said with a grin. "How noble of you to take it on yourself to accomplish this awful burden." Ororo said with a smile. "Training, soreness, and misery are what I'm qualified to teach right, Chuck?" Logan asked as he stood. Professor Xavier didn't reply, but instead shook his head. "Morale is about to go down." Scott said truthfully. "Yes well it's too bad Scott and I can't miss anymore classes." Jean said quickly. "Which is why we're leaving today." Scott added. "How fortunate for you." Magneto commented. "It's a shame the other X-Men aren't so lucky." He continued. "Don't start Erik." Professor X ordered. "Of course Jean and Scott can't miss anymore classes and they will be missed dearly at Logan's Arctic Survival Training Camp."

"Ahhh, I can't wait to hear the groan." Logan chuckled as he walked out to deliver the horrifying and awful news to the recruits.

"And I thought survival training in the woods with him was bad, now we have to do it in a sub-zero environment." Rogue growled.

"Actually Rogue, you won't be joining the other X-Men." Professor X started. "You will remain here with the rest of us; we are going to start your training."

Rogue exhaled a sigh of relief. "Lucky me." And for once there was no sarcastic or arrogant tone in her voice.

"What are we going to be covering?" Rogue asked hesitantly. "Where to start child, there are a number of things you're going to have to learn." Magneto said.

"Erik is correct Rogue. Training to be a full time leader, you'll have sessions with both Magneto and I in creating mental barriers to guard your mind, we still have to explore and organize your mind, and then there is the matter of your powers." Professor Xavier had said the last bit with on odd tone in his voice, like a child that was facing the task of having to do chores.

Rogue noticed it to. "Why do I have a feelin' that last part is going to be the hardest?" She asked to no one in particular. "Because it will be." Jean informed her. "Yes, Rogue we are going to have several sessions discussing your powers before we can even begin to try and use them." Professor X agreed.

"Rogue you and I could have these sessions in private or members of the senior cabinet can join us, whichever you prefer."

"Let's do with the senior members Prof." Rogue decided without hesitation. "After the concert and the second Apocalypse incident they have a right to know." She said as she rubbed her temples.

"And certain mutants with an extensive knowledge and years of research _could _have useful input." Rogue added.

"_Powerful_ mutants with extensive knowledge and years of research." Magneto corrected her.

"Don't push it Magneto." Rogue warned.

"Mutant's I hope you wouldn't be fighting with again Rogue." Professor Xavier said knowingly. "God forbid you be put back on chaperon duty."

Rogue snorted.

"Speaking of fighting I think we should widen Rogue's knowledge of hand to hand combat." Magneto suggested.

"What?" Rogue asked confused. "I'm the best fighter the X-Men have."

"That's true." Scott agreed. "I've been a black belt since I was eight." Rogue defended.

"I know that Rogue, but are you really going to pass up an opportunity to learn Krav Mega?"

Rogue's eyes widened. Now this was an idea she liked. From Magneto's memories she knew Krav Mega was a deadly art of fighting that he'd learned in Isreal. It was very deadly art that topped Karate any day. After all what was the harm in learning something that could benefit her? But before she could answer Professor Xavier once again butted his nose where he wasn't wanted.

"That will not be happening." He said firmly. "Rogue is deadly enough as it is."

"You're afraid." Rogue stated angrily. _'You're afraid of ME.'_

"Rogue please don't misunderstand, I do trust you. And I do fear, but I fear for you safety." He explained.

"All the more reason for me to learn." She pointed out stubbornly.

"Rogue I fear because if other find out about this they will be less than enthusiastic." He argued.

"Please do explain Charles." Magneto said arrogantly with a sarcastic tone. "Erik you know why this is a bad idea, as if the girl's touch wasn't enough to put her on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar, or the floor of the Congress of the United States. I will not give anyone else a reason to fear her."

"Who will tell them Charles? And if they do fear her as much as you say then why not give her more ammunition to defend herself?"

"Erik this topic is not up for debate." Magneto's eyes narrowed. He clearly was not accustomed to being told what to do, and Magneto did not take orders.

Rogue sensed a fight coming on though and quickly changed the topic. "Back up Prof. Am I on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar?"

Professor Xavier sighed angrily. "Yes, Rogue. S.H.I.E.L.D monitor's mutant activity, they have files on the X-Men and as you can imagine a teenager with the ability to kill would be cause for concern."

"It's not that this young woman can kill Charles." Magneto corrected him. "It is how she can kill. Anyone in this room can kill. It's a well know fact amongst S.H.I.E.L.D operatives and our own kind that to kill it takes time and energy. It would take concentration to telepathically kill someone, or skill to strike someone with a lightning bolt, or even to draw the iron in their blood. These skills take time to learn. Rogue can do it effortlessly; it is her gift, she doesn't need to be trained." He explained.

"If you weren't once of Xavier's charges Rogue, I have no doubt they would have intercepted you by now."

"To try and recruit her." Xavier said quickly. "Someone that dangerous and not working for S.H.I.E.L.D is a viewed as a threat."

"And if she hadn't gone with them willingly?" Magneto asked.

"We're all dangerous Magneto." Scott stated. "Granted Rogue is more dangerous than the rest of us, but I'm sure if anyone left the X-Men S.H.I.E.L.D would try and recruit them regardless of how dangerous they are."

"Are you really so naïve to think that they-

"Enough Erik!" Professor Xavier shouted. "Perhaps it would be better if we had the rest of this conversation in private."

Professor Xavier turned to the rest of the X-Men. "Session dismissed, Rogue I will see you at nine o'clock in the morning tomorrow in the library."

Storm and Beast were the first to rise and leave followed closely by Jean and Scott. Lastly Rogue left after one last look at the two angry men sitting across from each other.

Rogue walked down the hall in silence. Professor Xavier had locked up all the psyches and fragments (with her permission this time) nearly two days ago, the barriers were probably going to be destroyed tomorrow morning. Everyone agreed there was no way to unlock her power if restricted by the barriers. But for now it was nice to enjoy the silence it gave her. As she past the lobby she came across several angry New Mutants going to bed early grumbling about how Wolverine was trying to give them hypothermia tomorrow.

After retrieving her jacket and switching her cotton gloves to leather a frustrated Rogue walked out of the hotel and made her way to the lake.

* * *

"A bit late for midnight walks don't you think Rogue?" A voice asked above her. Rogue tensed as she recognized it. She turned just in time to see a figure land next to her. Even in the dark of the night she could see his white hair and light eyes drawing down on her.

"Magneto." Rogue greeted. "Stalking me?" She asked. He chuckled. "Actually I thought a walk might do me some good after arguing with your infuriating mentor. He's nearly as irritating as you."

Rogue scowled. "You're just angry I can get under ur' skin."

Magneto chose to ignore that comment. "Should you really be out here without a proper coat?" He asked.

"It's forty-five degrees Fahrenheit and you're wearing a measly jacket." He informed her.

"So?" Rogue asked in a defensive tone. "Your one to talk you're not even wearing a jacket." It was true he was wearing his usual black attire. "Wait aren't you freezing?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I can manipulate the magnetic field around my body to keep the cold out."

He stepped towards her and reached his hand out. Light blue sparks came off. "I can do the same to you if you wish."

"I really don't know if-

Rogue stopped short as she stared him in the eye. "What's wrong with your eyes?" She asked. "A few weeks ago they were light green…now they're icy blue." She took a step closer to him trying to get a better look.

Magneto appeared taken off by her question. "Before my mutation emerged I had green eyes and brown hair. The rebirth machine set me back to when my eyes were still green…now they seem to be returning to their natural blue state."

"The rebirth machine didn't mess with your hair." She pointed out.

"Yes my hair was the first thing my mutation affected, my eyes didn't change until ten years later."

She didn't say it out loud but she thought his icy blue eyes were very attractive. "They go nicely with your hair." She commented.

"Thank you. I wasn't aware you paid such attention to my eyes."

Rogue responded by rolling her eyes. "The first Mystique taught me from my time in the Brotherhood was to notice things about others." Rogue said as she shivered. Magneto noticed this.

Magneto ran his hand down her arm. Instantly she felt a little warmer. "Did you know Rogue that each and every living thing had a bio-magnetic field surrounding it? It took nearly twenty years for me to notice they were there."

"And you can now affect it on a molecular level; it's what makes you an omega." Rogue finished.

"Very good Rogue." He said as he moved to her hand. He gently pulled her glove off. Rogue couldn't feel the cold winds; he was obviously manipulating her bio-magnetic field.

"You deep green eyes an excellent contrast with your pale skin." Magneto said as he examined her hand. "Was it always this pale, or is this the result of having to wear so much clothing to cover your skin?"

"I-I was born with pale skin, and with these white streaks." She said as his hand moved to wrap around her back and pull her closer, despite the fact that she was warm already.

Rogue shook her head forcefully in an attempt to clear it; she was very distracted with him touching her.

"Did you come out here to tell me how pretty my eyes are?" She asked. "Or are you here for another reason?"

Magneto smirked. "I'm only giving you a compliment Rogue, and if you must know I was curious to why _you _are out here when everyone else has retired."

"Not that it's any of your business but I'm just trying to clear my head." She lied.

Magneto cocked his head to the side. It was only when he used his free hand to tilt her chin forcefully up did Rogue realize he was wearing gloves.

His eyes once again bore down on her. "You are a good liar Rogue." He complimented. "But I am a master criminal with genius level intellect."

"Well aren't you an arrogant one to brag." Rogue snarled. "Do not lie to me girl." He said as he pulled her closer. Their bodies were now touching. Rogue cursed herself when she realized none of her skin was exposed.

Light blue sparks erupted around them as he demonstrated his power. "Asshole that was a barbaric display of power." Rogue snarled angrily as she struggled against him. She was literally itching to remove her glove.

'_Stop it Rogue.'_ She told herself. _'Dammit girl you have more restraint than this.' _

"Why are you suddenly so angry Rogue?" He asked as he pulled her harder against him. Three small metallic spears flew towards them. Rogue struggled harder. She hissed as she saw them.

It took a moment for Magneto to realize her anger was not directed at him, but at the metal.

He turned her face to look at him again. "Would that be jealousy I see in your pretty eyes Rogue?" Magneto asked.

That was the last straw. "YES!" Rogue shouted. "Yes I'm jealous, everyday!" Her vision was getting blurry. "Every day I watch the others use their powers as freely as they want. Cyclops has the power of a bazooka behind each of his eyes and Prof. still lets him use it!" Tears now freely spilled out of her eyes.

"Do you have _any_ idea how demented that sounds?" She asked. "That I want to use my curse? That I want to suck the life out of people? I came out here in the cold to get numb! So I wouldn't feel pain and anger anymore."

Rogue was choked up in the back of her throat; it was getting hard to speak. "I love the way it feels. It hurts my head a little afterward, but it's always worth it! The rush and tingle, it just feels like it's me…like I'm myself!"

Rogue rambled as she tried to explain it. Halfway through her rant the metal spheres dropped to the ground and the blue sparks had disappeared.

"It's so sick." Rogue whispered. "So wrong."

Magneto firmly placed his finger over her lips. "That's enough out of you Rogue." He growled angrily. "Listen to me carefully girl; there is nothing, _nothing_ wrong with using your gift."

He used his thumb to wipe away one of her tears. "You should _not _be ashamed of it." He said firmly. "There is nothing wrong with it."

Rogue began to breathe easier. "Your time with Charles seems to has done much damage." He commented angrily.

"He took me in despite everything." She argued. "And he restricts you, if he had even _attempted_ to teach you to use your power you would be in this situation. You should never feel ashamed, as though it were wrong." Magneto snarled with disgust.

"The others would be disgusted, and afraid. God, even you can't deny I'm an outcast even amongst my own kind."

"You mean you're an outcast amongst Charles's little band of dreamers." He corrected. "You're trying to sway me." Rogue accused. "What are you even doing here amongst us "little dreamers"?" She used his choice of words.

"I don't know!" He shouted angrily.

Silence lapsed between them as Rogue stopped crying and re-gained the ability to breathe normally. Magneto took several deep breaths before his anger subdued.

They were still pressed together. "Maybe you're here because you like teaching, you're a good teacher." She suggested.

"How would you know that?" He asked. Rogue smiled. "I know lots of things. My power, it allows me to see what you were thinking and feeling at any given moment as long as I have your memories." Her hands snaked up to press against his chest.

"Sometimes after an absorption I can know what a person is about to do before they do, or I'll answer a question they haven't asked yet."

"Does it fade?" He asked. "Mmmhmmm eventually. But if I absorb a person enough times I get a good idea of what they could be thinking at any given time."

"Really?" He asked. "Have you absorbed me enough to tell what I was thinking?"

Rogue blushed red, she'd forgotten her make-up and her blush could be easily seen. "Rogue?" He asked confused.

"Earlier, when I commented about your eyes and you took off my glove...you were wondering if the paleness covered my entire body."

His eyes widened. "You know then?" He asked. "That you're attracted to me? Yeah I had a feelin'."

She said as she let her hands wander up a little farther to his shoulders. "You've seen my mind." He stated very matter-of-factly. "You know I rarely deny myself anything." He continued as his thumb rubbed against her cheek.

Rogue sucked in a breath then. "Your easily excited by touch, did you know that?" He asked. "You are attracted to me as well, I've known ever since that day in the danger room when you made bruises on my neck."

Rogue blushed deeper. "I gave you hickeys?" She asked. "Yes, I do believe that is the term used nowadays."

"You got off on pinning me down." She challenged. "You enjoyed it too." He growled. "Your body told me so."

Rogue now realized their mouths were only centimeters apart. She closed her eyes, sucked in a breath, and pressed her lips to his without any hesitance.

His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head holding her closer despite the fact that she had started to absorb him.

Magneto skillfully licked her bottom lip, causing her to gasp. He used this opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. Rogue whimpered and suddenly needed to steady herself against him. Her sound encouraged him to stroke his tongue with his.

Magneto pulled back suddenly and in-haled sharply, leaving Rogue to steady herself. "You-you really like watching me fight." She said. "You thought it was like watching me dance. You called it deadly grace."

"You'd like me to call you Erik." She continued. "And you sometimes feel threatened by me."

He cupped her cheeks again. "Quiet girl." He ordered. His mouth was on hers again. Magneto's hands traveled down to her waist, and his thoughts were flowing into her.

"_Sometimes I feel as though you are the only threat in Xavier's Institute."_ His thoughts corrected her.

"_You are do much different…you intrigue me…you know that girl? Storm and Jean Grey have great gifts, but they can't compare to yours. I would never seek out their company as I do you, they are prude, set in their ways, and they would not attack if threatened."_

This time Rogue broke the kiss, pushing Erik back, trying to breath. "Rogue?" He asked, once again confused. Her forehead came to rest against his chest. "It's just that my power, it's very intense. Give me a minute."

Rogue inhaled and exhaled in counts of three. "Was I pushing you too far?" He asked. She shook her head against him. "No, I wanted to do that, and wanted to continue. It's hard to explain, but I think in a way it was your fault." She added the last bit playfully. "My feelings for you, this attraction, it's _really_ strong. Combined with your feelings…it was just too overwhelming to the point where I couldn't breathe."

Magneto rubbed Rogue's back as her breathing stilled. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I wanted to continue, I'm just not used to taking so much."

"Don't apologize." He said as he kissed the top of Rogue's head that was protected by her hair. "We're going to have to practice then." Magneto assured her. Rogue smiled. "Think I'd like that."

"Good." He said possessively. "Walk me back to my room?" She asked, and for the first time that evening was hesitant.

He smiled. "Everyone else is asleep, I can't see how it would arouse trouble."

* * *

Soon Rogue lay alone in her dark room. Wondering if starting this with him was really a good idea after all, they did live in a house with two telepaths. She breathed and forcefully pushed all these thoughts out of her mind, not wanting to think about the consequences or her teammate's reactions if they ever found out. Her and Magneto shared things in common, but in a way they were opposites as well. While he rarely denied himself something, she always denied herself everything.

Not this time, she was going to enjoy him for as long as she could.

"You care…a little bit…deep down you do care." She mumbled to Erik's fragment. It was nearly two in the morning when Rogue finally did manage to drift off to sleep.

* * *

**So did you like it? Review and tell me what you think! I'm looking forward to making Rogue a little darker!**

**Note: In the comics Rogue really was a black belt at the age of eight, so I decided to use that in this story. And in the episode X-23 it was shown that S.H.I.E.L.D had files on the X-Men. **

**For those of you Rogneto lovers out there, in the comic Uncanny Avengers Magneto appears to be coming back into the picture when Rogue is ordered by Alex Summers to hunt him down. (Uncanny Avengers 7) Can't wait!**

**RR Time:**

**Angelpain07: I hope you liked the romance in this chapter. Thanks for your review!**

**Marigab: ****I'm looking foward to making Rogue darker.** Thanks for reviewing!

**whylime: nope this story is going to continue with further chapters, thanks for reviewing!**

**Batty QUEEN: I'm glad you liked the ending of the last chapter, and I'll try to update quicker, but my internet has been giving me hell lately. Thanks for your review!**

**1983Sarah: Thanks for reviewing!**

**crystalstar1999: Thanks for reviewing!**


	12. Psyches Give Me Hell

Rogue Darkholm stood smirking from her window as she watched the younger students get into the X-Van with scowls on their faces. _'There probably more like my subordinates now.'_ She told herself, and frowned at the thought. _'I never wanted to be a leader. Why in the hell did Jean and Scott have to leave? They couldn't have done online college? Assholes.' _Rogue thought angrily. _'No come on stop it, girl.'_ She in-haled and ex-haled. _'Professor Charles Xavier isn't an idiot he knows what he's doing…and my experiences more than qualify me for this position.' _

"But am I ready for this?" She whispered aloud to herself. _'It doesn't matter right now. I have more important things to be worrying about. Like my powers. Anyhow the other X-Men aren't going to be back for at least 2 weeks. I don't have to think about that yet.'_ Rogue told herself.

"Procrastination was always a talent of mine." She grinned to herself and checked the clock. 5 minutes before she had to meet Professor Xavier and Erik down in the library. _'Magneto.'_ She mentally corrected herself. _'Call him Magneto unless you're alone with him.'_ Not that she was trying to hide their- well whatever the hell they had going on between them, but she had enough to worry about as it was with ought having to explain to Professor Xavier why she had engaged in slightly inappropriate behavior with his best frienamy.

Rogue sighed as she buckled up her boots. Now all the barriers were going to come undone. It was going to be like it was before, loud uncontrollable noise, and having to share her head with resentful fragments. The door to her suit closed with a click as she descended the stairway to what she referred to as the never-ending headache of hell.

* * *

"Morning Professor X." Rogue greeted her mentor half-heartedly. He raised an eyebrow at her uneasiness. She acted as though she were about to start on a chore. But then again in a way she was. "Where are Magneto and Storm?" She asked as she scanned the almost empty library. Professor Xavier placed down the book he was reading on the stand next to him. "Dr. McCoy and Storm are de-coding the data taken from Nathaniel Essex's laboratory and Magneto informed me he would be preparing for your mental barrier lesson later on today. It's just going to be the two of us in today's session."

"Yeah, well maybe that's a good thing." She said as she took her seat on the couch. "My head is crowded enough as it is without bringing extra people along for the ride." Professor Xavier gave her a gentle smile. "Well Rogue before we delve into your mind I think there are several things we need to discuss."

The room went silent for a minute as Professor Xavier silently agreed on the words he would use. "First there is the subject of the barriers I put into place after the concert." Rogue tensed, remembering the pain of betrayal. "I never did apologize properly for lacking to acquire your consent before I put the barriers into place." Now it was Rogue's turn to be silent as she stared down into her lap. "Professor, you did the right thing." She stated uneasily.

"Excuse me?" He asked surprised. Rogue finally tore her eyes away from her hands to meet his. "I was a mutant with far too much power. More than you. More than Magneto. More than any mutant should ever have."

"And I did attack the X-Men…I did attack my friends. I was a serious threat to myself and everyone around me. And I'm not saying' you should be doing this to others on a daily basis or anythin' but in my case you made the right decision. I wasn't able to control it then."

Professor Xavier had a look of surprise and relief on his face. Rogue thought to point it out. "I'm just surprised you came to this conclusion so soon, Rogue. I thought it would take at least another couple of months."

"Yeah well just don't go makin' a habit of it Prof." Rogue said. He shook his head. "No, no of course not Rogue."

"Now what else do we have to talk about?" She asked. "Well there is still the matter of you becoming the field leader of the X-Men, if you are still interested. It is your choice, Rogue."

Rogue waited a bit longer than necessary for dramatic effect to reply. "Yes, Professor."

He smiled. "Excellent."

"Now there is just the matter of the fragments and psyches that have taken residence inside your mind. When you are ready I will put the both of us into a trance state of comatose, our consciousness will flow into your mind where we will start the work."

"What exactly are we going to be doing Professor?" Rogue asked uncertainly.

"We are going to organize the psyches to a point where they are so organized they can be contained and managed."

Rogues eyes lit up with hope. "Does that mean it will be quieter in my mind?"

Professor Xavier nodded. "Yes eventually we will have enough control to silence them."

"Well then let's get started." Rogue said suddenly liking this idea much better.

* * *

_(Astral Plane of Rogue's Mind…Somewhere…Sometime)_

"_Rogue I thought you would like to know I just tore down the barriers that held the fragments back." _

"_Thank you." She answered as she watched rainbow colored sparks fly everywhere. "Or not." She added as she noticed the incoming wave of psyches. "Oh, Hell." She cursed. "Prof…_

"_I see them Rogue. Now if you don't want to be controlled in your own mind listen very carefully and follow my instructions." He said as he grasped her shoulders tightly. _

_He gently turned her so that her back was to the psyches and she was staring into him. _

_Suddenly Professor Xavier's voice was very calm and soothing. _

"_This is your mind, Rogue. You can control everything that happens here. This is your domain." Rogue in-haled and tried to turn to look at the psyches. _

"_No, Rogue." Professor Xavier said firmly and turned her back to face him. "Pay no attention to them. You are in control. And right now we need a bigger space."_

_Rogue's face turned to confusion. "Think it, will it, and it will happen in your mind Rogue. We need a wide open field. The majority of your Mississippi town was farm land. You can create a field just like the ones you played in as a child." _

_Rogue squeezed her eyes shut. "A field. A big, big field." She pictured her favorite one that had a large plateau towards the end that she once slid down._

"_Rogue open your eyes." Professor Xavier commanded gently. She stared around her. Rogue and Professor Xavier were now in that field. The psyches were spread over the great distance, picking themselves off the ground._

"_Well now we just have to catch them and organize them." Rogue said her voice oddly optimistic. "We should probably do this one at a time." She added. He nodded. "And maybe we should start with Kurt first, he'd be the easiest to convince to cooperate."_

"_Yes. Now Rogue listen. The barriers that I put up prevent the psyches from seeing what you were doing. They have no idea what we discussed."_

_Rogue stood stunned for a minute. "So they know nothing about what's happened within that past few days?" She asked. _

"_Correct." _

"_So what your saying is they have no idea we are bout' to catch them and lock them up."_

"_Also correct."_

"_We'd better be quick about this…and we won't be able to finish them all today. I recommend taking the hardest ones such as Jean and Storm out soon…then we'll deal with the rest." _

"_Agreed."_

* * *

Rogue and Professor Xavier slowly eased themselves out of the trance state he'd put them in. "Not as bad as I thought it would be." Rogue mumbled. "So we got Storm, Jean, Beast, Wolverine, and we _almost_ got Scott."

"Yes, had Wolverine not warned him, we would have gotten Scott."

"Those boxes aren't going to hold them forever."

"No. The boxes are only temporary until we catch all of them…after that we will set up a more permanent place of residence for the psyches."

Professor Xavier looked over at his exhausted student. "Get some rest Rogue. I'm going to telephone Dr. Moira MacTaggart and inform her of your progress."

Rogue nodded gratefully and laid her head to rest on the couch.

* * *

Nearly four hours later Rogue felt a gentle hand stroking her shoulder. "Rogue." A commanding voice with the slightest hint of a German accent spoke as the pressure increased. "Time to wake up dear."

She swatted his hand away and rolled over. Only to nearly fall off. Luckily for her Magneto caught her in time before she landed on the ground.

"Forgot I wasn't sleeping in a bed." Rogue mumbled as her back it the sofa. "Dinner is in a three hours and Charles asked me not to let you sleep too long. He also mentioned being in the astral plane was exhausting, but to be careful of your sleeping schedule. If you sleep for lengthy periods after your mind has been in a comatose state it may do damage to your body."

"Mmmkayy." Rogue said as she closed her eyes again. She head Magneto sigh and soon felt a hand on her shoulder. "Rogue did you not understand? You cannot go back to sleep."

Rogue had to fight to keep her eyes open. Magneto handed her a glass of ice water. She drained it before handing it back to him.

"Do you feel better?" He asked. Rogue nodded, feeling more awake with the help of cold liquid.

"Well enough to discuss something of importance?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Magneto said as he moved closer to her and brushed a stray lock of white hair out of her face.

"You wanted to discuss…whatever the hell this is." Rogue said as she tried not to be distracted by his hands.

He chuckled lightly. "I do believe it is called a relationship."

Rogue looked startled for a moment. "Is that what you want this to be?" She asked. Magneto continued to run his hands through her hair. "Yes." He answered. "Is this what you want?"

"I-yeah it is."

"You don't look certain."

"The only thing I'm not certain about it why _you_ want a relationship." She pointed out. "Your _Magneto _for crying out loud."

He twirled a white lock in his fingers for a minute or so before looking into her eyes.

"Perhaps I've taken a…fondness to you." Magneto said as he abandoned the lock of hair and let his bare hand travel further down to her waist. He moved his lips closer to her ear.

"And a desire." He whispered.

"Really?" Rogue asked, knowing full well he had. She let her hand wonder down up and down his chest, carefully feeling every muscle.

"Oh yes, Rogue. With your pale deadly skin, those white streaks of hair, and your blush." His voice was suddenly deeper. He lightly nipped her ear. Not nearly enough to start the transfer, just enough to make her jolt in surprise and gasp.

"Wipe that smirk off your face." Rogue hissed.

"I don't take orders Rogue…if anything girl it's going to be _you_ taking the orders." Rogue shivered and bit her bottom lip.

"You like that idea?" Magneto asked with a dark laugh. Instead of answering Rogue crawled into his lap and kissed him.

She could feel his smirk, damn him. Magneto's free hand came up to firmly push against her head. Effectively pulling her closer to him.

The transfer took longer to start this time a light pull that caused Magneto to nip her bottom lip.

"_ROGUE WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" _She heard Cyclops angry voice screaming at her. Rogue jolted from the shock and pushed Magneto back.

Suddenly all the remaining psyches that weren't caged were angry. Very angry. _ "HE'S A FORMER TERRORIST THAT IS USING YOU!"_ She still had Cyclops screaming at her.

"_Whazt are you thinking Rogue?"_ Kurt asked her. _"I cannot believe my shister would listen to such filthy thingz and respond to them!" _

It felt like she was going to explode. It was like all the new mutants, and Scott and Kurt were pounding on her head. Punching and kicking, trying to do as much damage as possible. They had _never_ lashed out like this.

Tears spilled over her eyes. "Stop it!" Rogue shouted. "God it's killing me, please you're hurting. Stop it now!"

'_Good maybe now you won't act like such a desperate whore that will throw herself at her murdering enemy!" _Cyclops screamed.

"Rogue?" Magneto asked confused.

"I'm not a whore!" Rogue shouted.

"_REALLY ROGUE? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THAT FROM HERE! THIS ISN'T SOME HARMELES FOOTSIE. YOU IN HIS LAP PARTICIPATING IN HEAVY FLIRTING! THE TYPE OF FLIRTING THAT USUALLY ENDS UP IN BED. YOU DISGUST ME!" _

The pounding was getting harder. Now it felt like someone was taking a hammer to her head. _"You are being used you pathetic, desperate, dead weight, pathetic excuse for human being, you SLUT! You should be ashamed." _Cyclops wouldn't stop screaming.

Rogue threw herself onto the other side of the sofa, curled up and put her hands to her head. "Stop!" Her tears blurred her vision so badly she couldn't see. "I'm sorry!" Rogue shouted, in so much pain she would say anything at this point to get them to stop.

Rogue felt his hands on her face, forcing her to take in his life force. "No stop it!" Rogue tried to tell him. "They're gonna get angrier."

Magneto strong arms slammed down on her, forcing her out of her fetal position, flat on her back while she was still absorbing him.

Quickly she felt the other voices of the psyches being drowned out by Magneto's presence in her mind. Rogue's eyes snapped open. The pain was dulling, the psyches couldn't fight anymore.

"Thank you, Erik." She whispered as she tried to recover. He removed his hands and broke the connection. "Their quiet now." Rogue said as she scooted closer to him. "Thank god you can put two and two together." Rogue mumbled as her head hit his shoulder.

Magneto loosely wrapped his arm around her waist as he recovered. "What where the psyches saying?" he asked as Rogue's crying stopped. "It wasn't just what they were sayin', it was like they were trying as hard as possible to hurt me. Like they all had taken hammers to my head."

"Cyclops was doing a lot of the yelling. Telling me how angry they were, I was desperate, and that I should be ashamed of myself."

Magneto pushed Rogue back a bit so he could look her in the eye. "Listen to me very carefully Rogue." His voice was tense, he sounded angry. "You are not a whore. You are not desperate. There is nothing for either of us to be ashamed of."

"Does Cyclops get chastised for lusting after Miss Grey?" He asked her. Rogue shook her head.

"I know I have nothing to be ashamed of, Erik. But don't you think what we have going on is kind of…inappropriate?"

"Inappropriate how Rogue?" He asked. "You are a young woman fully capable of making her own decisions, your experiences have made you older than you appear-so please do not bring up your age-, and you are not my subordinate we are both senior staff members of the X-Men."

"Now granted there are going to be times and places where I am going to have some level of authority over you…

Rogue blushed and grinned, as she smacked his shoulder lightly. "With the way you're talking it's hard to believe we haven't done anything other than make out." Rogue smiled.

"Oh, I promise you dear, we will get farther once we're sure the psyches are done causing harm to you."

"I can't believe I tried to ignore the..lust..that has being goin' on between us since the day in the danger room."

"Rogue I learned last night it's much more enjoyable to stop resisting what you want." Magneto assured her as he leaned in for a kiss.

Rogue stopped him y putting a finger to his lips. "Even if it makes you feel weak?" She asked. "I got your mind inside of mine Erik; I know how you first felt about wanting me."

"It could possibly be worth it." He said as he kissed the gloved finger against his lips.

"Possibly." Rogue repeated. "It's true I didn't like being caught in your grasp at first. I didn't like the idea of smiling at your spats with the New Mutants or enjoy watching you get so angry. I didn't like the idea of admitting your complex mind fascinated me, and that you were a smart girl despite your serious grammar issue. Keep in mind Rogue I have not cared for anyone in a long time…this is difficult for me.

Rogue smiled. "I know it is. I just wanted to hear you say it." He frowned.

"You're not manipulative often." He pointed out.

"Well I learned from the best. Maybe I shouldn't be hanging out with you so much." Rogue grinned. "And I grew up in the south, my accent and my grammar ain't my fault."

Magneto suppressed a smile as he let her head fall to his shoulder.

* * *

**And Cuuuuutttt! Finished with this chapter! Review?**

**Anyway here's a preview of the next: Rogue has a training session with Magneto this time. Beast and Dr. MacTaggart prod Rogue with science sticks, and Rogue deals with nightmares that aren't hers!**

**Batty QUEEN: Fortunately for Rogue Professor X hasn't seen what's going on yet. I can't do that to Rogue just yet, poor girl has enough on her plate.**

**Angelpaint07: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your review!**

**Crystalstar1999: Thanks for your review!**

**Midnight Lost: I am planning on making Rogue a little bit darker due to the nightmears, but not nearly as bad as before.**

**Marigab: Thanks for your review!**

**1983Sarah: Thanks for your review!**

**Darksaber92: Thanks for your review!**

**poison magnolia: You'll see darker Rogue in the coming chapters,k for right now I want her to be happy before she goes through hell.**

**Wolfoak19989: I'm glad you like this pairing! And Rogue's supposed to start her Krav Mega training very soon. Thanks for your input!**


	13. Arrogant Bastard

II-13

Two Weeks Later.

"Alrighty now dear, we're almost finished we just have to take a blood sample now." Dr. Moira MacTaggart said as she finished scraping Rogue's skin samples onto her microscope slide.

Rogue closed her eyes and held her breath. "Okay, let's just get this over with." She looked away towards the blue wall. Kitty once told her if you don't look, it won't hurt. She hoped to god they were right.

"Not fond of needles much dearie?" Dr. MacTaggart asked as she ripped open an alcohol swab. Rouge shook her head no. "I was actually fine with needles until I absorbed Logan."

Dr. MacTaggart gently rubbed the cold liquid over the soft side of Rogue's wrist, over her purple and green veins.

"The Wolverine? Yes I've read his file, quite understandable why he'd be afraid." Dr. MacTaggart threw the swab into the trash and picked up the needle. "But you haven't absorbed him since the Apocalypse Rising Incident, and that was nearly eight months ago." The highly esteemed Scottish doctor pointed out.

"So you're saying the memories stay with you, and their fears affect you?" Dr. MacTaggart asked as she prepared to insert the needle into Rogue's skin.

"Yeah, I relive things from their point in view so intimately I think I'm them afterward. I've almost experienced their memories myself so I'm affected in the same wa- OW!" Kitty was apparently wrong about it not hurting if you looked away.

Dr. MacTggart looked up concerned. "It will only take a few seconds; I almost have all the blood I need to produce duplicates."

Sure enough, a few seconds later the needle came out. "Duplicates?" Rogue asked as she rubbed her arm were the needle had been.

"Yes of course dearie. The human body only has about six quarts of blood, and in any case I can't take near that much without causing harm to your body. Unfortunately in your case I'm going to need much more, probably close to thirty quarts to do some serious studying of your blood. But I should be able to successfully clone your blood sample in order to get that amount."

Dr. MacTaggart taped a bandage onto Rogue's arm to stop the bleeding. "So, how much did you take?" Rogue asked.

"Approximately a pint."

"Sounds like you have a lot o-cloning to do doctor." Rogue remarked as she pulled off her hospital gown and pulled on her clothes.

Dr. MacTaggart cracked a grin at Rogue's sarcasm. "Well in any case Rogue you won't have to give blood for about another two months."

Rogue's head snapped up from pulling on her jeans. "Another sample? But I thought you could duplicate-

"I need to observe your blood overtime Rogue. About every two months I'll be back to take a pint."

Rogue groaned and finished pulling her clothes back on. Dr. MacTaggart noticed Rogue's apparent lack of enthusiasm at giving blood.

"Well by the time I'm completely finished with taking blood from you, maybe your fear of needles will be dulled." Rogue resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the optimistic doctor.

"You know Rogue this is really quite a remarkable event, with every other mutant their mutation manifests once, when they get their mutant abilities during puberty. Their powers don't evolve. The only thing they can do is gain skill."

"Like Kurt." Rogue concluded. "Kurt's maximum port distance is two miles; he can only lengthen that by practicing."

"Yes, but a better example would be Katherine Pryde. She can only improve her phasing, she'll never be able to turn invisible."

"That's why case is so remarkable Rogue. Your powers evolve, change. I've never had a chance to study a mutant while this was happening, and I'm very excited."

'_I only wish I shared ur' optimism.' _Rogue thought as she stared out the window. "So when's the Professor comin' to pick me up?" She asked as thought of the awful strain it would be on her mind if she were to endure another astral plane training session.

Dr. MacTaggart moved around the room collecting the other samples she'd taken from Rogue.

"Actually he had to leave late last night. The courts in Washington have finally decided to acknowledge that mutants have rights and are allowing Charles to speak. I should be joining him in a few weeks."

Dr. MacTaggart stopped for a moment to face Rogue. "You'll be spending the rest of your training time with Magneto, speaking of which he should be waiting for you downstairs."

"Oh." Rogue let out a sigh she hadn't been aware she was holding. She was getting to spend a good bit of her time with Erik, which was really nice. The best part though was that there were no telepaths to but their big noses where they weren't wanted. Rogue has the oddest feeling that Professor Xavier would have more than a few things to say about this relationship she's started with his oldest friend. It didn't matter though, this was her decision and she was happy with it.

"Well, I'll see you soon Dr. MacTaggart." Rogue said as left the room that had been prepared in the hotel specifically for Rogue's examination, who was suddenly much more eager to attend her training session.

* * *

"Morning, Erik." Rogue greeted him with a light peck on the lips. "Rogue." He said as his arm encircled her waist. "I've been waiting, how was your session with Dr. MacTaggart?"

"Boring. She took a couple of samples, skin, hair, nails, blood." Magneto moved to sit on the couch and gently tugged at Rogue's waist, indicating her wanted her to sit with him.

Rogue smiled and sat on his lap. Magneto sighed and shook his head. "Not time to play yet Rogue." He playfully reminded her. "We have to work on your powers first."

Rogue pouted her lips for good measure before sliding off him. Magneto shook his head and smiled. The girl had become much more open since they're night in the library nearly two weeks ago. She was usually so untrusting, always tightened, never allowing anyone even a chance of getting close. Maybe it was because she'd absorbed him multiple times that she knew she could trust him.

"Would you like to hear something interesting about your mutation?" Magneto asked thoughtfully. "I've been doing a great deal of thinking and theorizing about your power, and for the first time since I've begun studying mutants I'm impressed."

"About what, exactly?"

"Did you know Rogue that each and every mutant falls under some category or another when dealing with mutations? Some mutations are unique and different but I've always been able to categorize them."

"Like telepathy, teleporting, or magnetism?"

"Correct."

"Cyclops and Havok fall under energy powers. Wolverine and Dr. McCoy are ferals. Charles and Miss Grey are telepaths. Your brother is a teleporter."

"I've also come to realize very few mutants also possess a natural secondary mutation. Miss Grey would be an example with both telepathy and telekinesis."

"Some mutants will alter their genetic make-up using science to gain an artificial secondary mutation. Examples of this would be Mr. Sinister and Emma Frost. Mr. Sinister was once human before he altered his genes and became a _mutate_. Emma Frost was once a student of Charles's, she is a formidable telepath that left the X-Men when she struck a deal with the hellfire club and Cassandra Nova. If she joined them Cassandra Nova would give her a secondary mutation of diamond skin. If you ask me, it was a rushed technique that was before it's time and will eventually fade. Miss Frost will eventually lose her artificial diamond skin."

"So these mutants with natural secondary mutations are very rare?" Rogue asked.

"Yes, Rogue."

"Don't you have some type of stamina or something that is a result of your magnetism? Does that count as a secondary mutation?"

"No. My stamina is a by-product of channeling magnetic fields."

"Ah, so that's how you keep your muscles using your power is like a workout in itself."

Magneto smiled. "I appreciate that you noticed." He said as he took a lock of her white hair and worked it through his fingers.

"In any case, I brought up secondary mutations because yours baffles me."

"I have a secondary mutation? A second category I fall under?" Rogue asked surprised.

"Actually my dear, you fall under three categories by my count. You can take and re-live memories that imply a powerful version of telepathy. You have the gift of taking abilities and life force, as well as memories, which implies a degree of mimicry. And lastly this deadly skin, which can kill with a touch."

Magneto stopped playing with her white locks to tilt her head up and stare into her eyes.

"Having a secondary mutation is very rare; having three is unheard of Rogue."

"A-Are you sure?" Rogue asked.

"Absolutely, I discussed this with Charles last night who agreed it was…baffling. Not just the amount of abilities that you have, but they way they work together."

"Because you collect the memories of others your able to use their powers better than they can, making you more powerful than a mimic."

"SO I'm a powerful mimic mixed with telepathy that has deadly skin?"

"I think deadly skinned mutant with the power to absorb _everything_ about a person sounds much better."

"You really got a thing for my skin don't ya?" Rogue asked.

"You know I do." Magneto said as he pressed his bare hand to her cheek. The transfer pulled at his life force and sent everything flying into Rogue. He broke the connection seconds later.

"I like it when I absorb you." Rogue said, smiling. "Not cause' I like to know your secrets, or cause' your presence scares off the other psyches. It's just...safe. Makes me feel safe and warm."

Rogue had wrapped her arms around her body, probably unknowingly as she said this. She had her head tilted back, enjoying the feel of his psyche's presence.

Magneto had propped him up on the other side of the couch watching her display. She had that look on her face that appears only when her body is pressed to his, or when his hands are touching her, and it disappeared when his touch stopped.

Rogeu curled up onto the couch, still hugging herself. The metal in the room started to move slightly. She was smiling now, warm and soft, still able to feel his presence. Slowly it faded over the course of ten minutes. Rogue frowned and sat up. He was still there, just faded along with his magnetism.

"Well that was entertaining to watch." Magneto said with a smirk.

"What was?" Rogue asked. "What are you smirking at megalomaniac?"

"Your show."

Confusion fluttered onto Rogue's face. "What show?"

Magneto studied her carefully and laughed out loud when he realized. "Rogue, dear, what does it feel like after you absorb me? Not the absorption itself, but afterwards after the stamina and excitement fades."

Rogue's arms wrapped themselves around her again. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the arm of the couch. "Almost like your touching me, even when you let go. It's like you're still there."

Her arms began to move at her sides, like she was cold. "Feels really nice and-

Rogue's eyes snapped open when she realized how she must look, and why he was laughing exactly. He wasn't even touching her anymore and she was still responding, still getting worked up.

Her face flushed a brilliant shade of red. This only made Magneto laugh harder. Rogue moved to get off the couch, wanted to run into her room and never come out again. God this was _embarrassing_.

Magneto grabbed Rogue's hand and pulled her back down on top of him. "Rogue, really dear, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, though I admit I do like to see you turn so red. Does it do that everywhere on your body?"

Rogue's face got even hotter. She had unintentionally blown his ego up to the size of Alaska. Damn. There was no way this could get any worse.

Rogue buried her head into his chest out of embarrassment, and so she wouldn't have to see him laughing, though she could still feel it though his chest.

"Oh, Rogue, I would apologize but-

"But you're an egotistical, arrogant bastard that gets a kick out of watchin' me suffer through this embarrassment." Rogue finished for him. "Does that bout' sum it up?"

"You left out powerful, which will watch it because it pleases him to do so, dear."

Rogue groaned. "Ur' frustrating."

"As are you."

"I'm gonna bite you." She informed him childishly.

"I bite back Rogue." Magneto reminded her. "Though knowing you, you would probably enjoy it."

Rogue bit her lip. "I thought you were supposed to be teaching me Krav Mega." Rogue's pathetic attempt to change the subject failed miserably.

"There is time for that tomorrow." He reminded her.

"ROGUE!" A high pitched valley girl's voice carried down the stairs. "We're back from Wolverine's Cold Hell of a Survival Camp!"

Rogue smiled and got off him. "Be there soon, Kitty!" Rogue called as she attempted to get up. Magneto held her down against him.

"C'mon Erik." Rogue said as she tried to get up. After her embarrassment she wasn't really in the mood to give him what he wanted.

Magneto held her down tighter. Rogue sighed annoyed, before a "light bulb" went off.

Instead of fighting him, Rogue pressed against him and kissed his neck through the sweater he was wearing. She used one hand to bring his face towards her and kiss transfer started and Rogue realized just how much he'd enjoyed watching her, more than she thought he had.

'_Ur' not the only one who can teach lessons.'_ Rogue thought as his tongue entered her mouth.

The transfer was weakening him Rogue felt his arms begin to lose their grip. Right now she was laying on top of him.

Carefully she broke the connection and tugged upwards on his sweater. He took the hint and sat up. Rogue climbed into his lap and started the kissing him again.

'_Perfect.'_ Rogue thought as she felt Magneto weaken and his arms lose their grip entirely from being weakened. Rogue purposely bit down on his lower lip hard. Quickly she got off his lap before he could respond, most likely with a bite.

"I guess you don't bite back." Rogue said thoughtfully as she tapped her chin. "Turns out Magneto is all talk."

Magneto was weakened to the point where it would take him at least two minutes to recover fully and again all of his strength back.

"Girl." Magneto hissed.

"You are going to pay. Dearly."

Rogue only grinned in response and walked up the stairs to meet Kitty and Kurt and listen about Wolverine's cold hell. Rogue was gone so quickly she didn't hear the rest of Magneto's promise.

"You will pay dearly, _tonight._"

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think! I wanted to take a break from all of Rogue's training, maybe that will be in the next chapter. One thing is for sure though; we will see what Magneto has planned for the Rogue's brave/idiotic stunt of taunting him.**

**RR Time:**

**Marigab: The psyches and their counterparts are going to come into play later in the story, that I promise you. Thanks for your review!**

**Batty QUEEN: Thanks for your review! P.S. I cannot wait for your update! (Please let it be soon, I love the idea of bad guys winning for once!)**

**Crystalstar1999 Thanks for your review!**

**Snickerdoodle22: Yep Magneto's psyche kicks the other's butts! Thanks for your review!**

**1983Sarah: Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your review!**

**Anne Marie Masen: ****No pude ****realmente ****justo ****una historia donde****los gritos ****Rogue ****en las esquinas****, ****no me gusta ****verla ****así. ****Gracias por ****tu ****comentario****!**


	14. The Struggle

Rogue smiled as she neared her private suite, Kitty waved goodbye as she entered the room she had to share with Dani Moonstar and Jubilee. Rogue smiled back and quietly entered her room. The grandfather clock chimed midnight.

'_I am so lucky I was not at that survival camp.'_ Rogue thought for the fifth time tonight after listening to the student's description of the camp. Sub-zero degree weather hunting for your own food, cursing when your fingers were too numb and blue to shoot the bow and arrow. Or like Roberto/Sunspot having to make a fire without using his powers, only using frozen wood. Best of all though was Kurt's job of finding stable ground to pitch the tent, it truly was a coincidence that the camp ground made up of partially melted ice that could suddenly give out any second and send you plummeting down into the freezing water below.

'_Poor suckers.'_ Rogue giggled as she grabbed her pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom. She shook her head as she glanced at the thermostat. 85 degrees Fahrenheit? One of the junior students had messed with the thermostat, there was no other explanation.

'_Jeez, guys I know the camp was bad _, _but that doesn't mean the rest of us need to have a heat stroke._'

Rogue put away her green sweat pants she usually wore and decided to go for her black tank top and matching shorts.

'_What's the harm? No one for me to zap in my room.'_ She rationalized and continued her routine before bed.

Rogue put her toothbrush down and gurgled water as the lights flickered. Rogue paused for a moment and shook her head. Students were back and probably running every electronic in the house, the first of many power surges, no doubt.

Walking out of her bathroom and towards the blue glowing AC adjuster. "75 degrees? There is no way." She said in disbelief. Someone, meaning the student with the highest computer and electronic skills had messed with the AC adjuster, and Sunspot had gone down into the boiler room and manually changed the temperature.

"Whatever I'll bust their balls for it tomorrow." Rogue mumbled out loud. It was too damn late to go down there and yell.

Rogue was about to go to bed when the lights in the bathroom flickered on. Rogue groaned as she got up and turned them off, but not before checking behind the shower.

'_No axe murderer I'm good.'_ Rogue rubbed her eyes as she walked back to bed, only to be taken surprise when a large muscular figure slammed into her and tried to pin her to the ground.

Rogue was taken by surprise and jabbed the intruder with her elbow. He grunted and attempted to grab her wrist.

Rogue combated it with a punch to the intruders jaw. The intruder grabbed her other wrist and wrestled her to the ground.

Rogue kicked and fought with every fighting tactic she knew, but the intruder always seemed to be one step ahead of her, on top of the fact that this intruder was stronger and faster than her. Rogue desperately tried to find a piece of skin, but whomever he was, he was wearing gloves.

Rogue yelped and squirmed.

She heard an all too familiar chuckle as the intruder's breath hit her ear. "Quiet now my dear, we wouldn't want to wake your teammates."

Rogue froze. "Erik? What the fucking hell?!" Rogue screamed and started kicking harder.

"Rogue dear, relax simply an experiment." Magneto said as he released her and pulled her to her feet. "I needed to have an idea of how trained you were before your Krav Mega lesson tomorrow."

The lamp beside her bedside turned on by itself, illuminating the room. "That wasn't fair, I wasn't ready!" Rogue protested. "Are you going to have the luxury of a warning before an ambush Rogue?" Magneto asked as he sat on her bed.

"When we were on the ground, you should have aimed a kicked to my abdomen and rolled." He informed her as he intertwined his hand in hers and pulled her down to sit on the bed.

"I'll remember that next time next time jerk wad." Rogue said as she moved to sit in his lap. "Is there any other reason you decided to sneak into my bedroom at night?" Rogue moved her free hand to play with his hair.

"Actually no." Magneto said as he moved his hand to her waist. "You still have not been punished properly for insulting and taunting me."

In one second Magneto twisted them so now she was beneath him. Rogue's breathing increased slightly.

"Scaring the living shit out of me wasn't enough?" Rogue asked as she swallowed. Magneto bit into her earlobe.

"Not nearly enough," He whispered huskily into her ear.

Magneto moved to stroke her shoulder and collar bone.

"Why do I have a feelin' that this punishment isn't going to be the fun type?" Rogue mumbled as Magneto let his other hand rest on her thy.

"Oh, dear I promise you shall enjoy this." Magneto said as he moved his hand to stroke the underside of her breasts.

"But you will also regret that you did not scream out for help." Magneto added as he started massaging them fully.

Rogue moaned softly. "And if I were to holler for Logan?" Rogue asked breathlessly.

"I do believe he left nearly an hour ago to a bar."

Magneto stopped and pinched one of her nipples. "But feel free to scream out for your other teammates."

Rogue arched up into his touch and bit her lip. "But then of course this would stop." Magneto released his hold and let Rogue's back hit the bed.

"Should I continue?" He asked as removed his hands. Rogue nodded. She gave off a sigh of bliss when he returned his hands.

Slowly Magneto worked her upper body. Biting at her shoulder and collarbone, moving his hands across in non-threatening areas, just enough to cause her to whimper and bite the soft flesh of her bottom lip.

He took his hands and rested them on her thighs, not moving just resting.

Magneto smirked at her. "You look a bit flushed, my girl." He commented. "I do love to watch you like this."

He purposely let his hot breath hit her ear. "Bothered, warm, completely at my mercy."

"You enjoy it to, yes? Earlier you wouldn't give me what I wanted because you were upset at "blowing my ego up", tell my girl are you at all concerned about that now?"

Rogue tried to glare up at him through her heavy, frustrated eyelids. She shook her head no.

"Do you enjoy being at my mercy?"

Rogue squeezed her eyelids shut and flushed deeper out of embarrassment. She nodded.

Magneto moved one of his hands to cup her cheek. "Open your eyes." He commanded.

"There is no need to be embarrassed Rogue. It's perfectly natural for your desire to be submissive." Rogue opened her eyes.

"Promise?"

He smiled down on her. "I promise there is nothing unusual about your desire…in any case I have an equally growing desire to dominate you."

Magneto rubbed her thy briefly, extracting a moan from her.

"And now for the part you are going to be most upset about." He said as he removed his hands from her body completely.

"You teased me in the library and left me frustrated and bothered; now I shall leave you frustrated and bothered."

Rogue looked up, shocked.

"Yur-yur just going to leave me here?" She asked.

"Yes, indeed I am." Magneto got off the bed.

Rogue was nearly shaking; he was just going to leave her here, without release.

"Erik, wait, I-I- swear I'll never do it again."

Magneto stopped near her door and turned towards her.

"Oh, I've no doubt you won't try anything of that nature anytime soon."

His hand was on the knob.

"Please." Rogue said desperately.

Magneto turned back towards her and stared at her for a long time, as if he were actually contemplating it.

"I do enjoy you like this." He said to himself. "An impressive display Rogue, but to give you the release you so clearly ache for would not teach you the lesson nearly as well than it would if I walked out now."

Magneto walked back around and covered her with a blanket and kissed her head that was protected by her hair.

"I have no doubt you've learned this lesson my girl, goodnight, precious Rogue."

* * *

Rogue woke up still feeling sore and unsatisfied. She took an ice cold shower, too afraid a hot one would make things worse.

She pulled on tight jeans and decided to wear sweatshirt, hoping to hide how terribly uncomfortable she was.

Breakfast was strangely quiet, Logan was still nowhere in sight and the cereal was cold. Most students were yawning at the table and rubbing their red eyes.

Things didn't get interesting for Rogue until the end, she was just finishing her cheerio's when the metal spoon warmed up considerably in her hand. Rogue nearly dropped it from the shock.

Magneto smirked behind his newspaper. Rogue turned red upon realizing he had purposely manipulated the metal spoon.

Rogue made a hasty excuse and emptied her bowl early. She quickly made her way back to her suite slamming the door behind her.

Moments later it opened again to reveal a smirking Magneto. "How was breakfast dear?" He asked conversationally.

Rogue didn't look up or answer from her spot on her bed, with her face buried in the pillow.

"Our session is in two hours." Rogue still didn't answer him. Magneto shook his head and continued on the conversation as if she was talking.

"I was considering if you're still as bothered as I think, and I know you are, I should help you so you won't be so stiff during the lesson."

Rogue still didn't move. "You're teasin' again." Rogue complained. Magneto placed his hands on her shoulder.

"I am not." He said as he gently pushed her over to face him.

"You may stop me anytime dear." He said as stroked her leg. "I promise I am not teasing this time, you will have the release you so badly desire."

"Do you believe me?" He asked, finding that her trust in his honesty mattered.

"Yes." Rogue whispered. He smiled. "Good, shall we pick up where we left off?"

* * *

"Rogue, be sure to roll next time." Rogue aimed to punches at his gut, he easily deflected them.

"Faster Rogue, and watch your eyes, they give you away." Rogue shot her leg out, only to be twisted.

Magneto growled frustrated. "Rogue-

He was cut short when Rogue used her other leg to twist around his throat. Rogue grinned. Magneto untangled himself and hissed. "Again."

"My pleasure, sugar." Rogue said as she moved to attacked him again.

She was advancing much quicker than he'd expected.

* * *

**So I hope this chapter didn't suck as bad as the last one. For the past few chapters I've been worried this story is going downhill or something. Seriously people I'm getting paranoid.**

**Those of you out there waiting for an update you can thank my cousin who hit my leg until I started typing again. She's also ticked at me at the moment.**

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**RR Time: Special thanks for reviewing!**

**crystalstar1999: I hope you enjoyed it thanks for reviewing!**

**Marigab: So sorry about last chapters cliff hanger, hope I didn't make you wait too long! Thanks for your review!**

**Anyway **


	15. De-Code

ii-15

Unfortunately for the X-Men vacation had come to an end and with heavy hearts they dragged themselves back to Bayville. Bobby only had a few more weeks before he could walk again, the snow in their Canadian Resort had been melting anyway and they did need to return to school. The arguments in Supreme Court were starting up again, from the looks of it Professor Xavier would be gone for a while, a few more weeks perhaps.

Rogue's Krav Mega training had slowly increased and improved according to Magneto she was getting deadlier by the day. Life at the mansion was returning to normal, repairs occurred daily when the spirits of the destructive New Mutants had finally been lifted.

Thankfully the X-Men had picked a good time to jump back into the action.

"Ladies an d gentlemen, the great inventor, Forge, had finally de-coded the stolen data from both the Sentinel Factory and Sinister's Lab!" Forge said enthusiastically.

"Bravo kid you want an award or something?" Wolverine asked the boasting mutant in front of him.

"Hey at the very least a round of applause would be nice, Sinister's was particularly difficult." Forge said as he clicked a series of buttons on the keyboard.

"Fordge we're very grateful o' course, now the information?" Rogue asked.

"Patience Rogue."

Forge continued to type until the flat screen TV clicked on and a series of pictures popped up.

"From what I can tell the new "Prowler Program" goes into effect sometime later this month, and it was created by the ambitious Senator Creed." Forge gestured to the screen, the same mechanical spider they'd seen designs of months ago popped up on screen. This one was more than a rough design though.

"This baby is equipped with some serious gadgets. First we got heat seeking missiles attached to what seems to be a tail, then we have mutant hunting software. You even get within 400 feet of this thing and it will know. Lastly though are the machine guns that lift out of the front legs, very accurate and very dangerous."

"This is going to be a problem." Rogue said as she rubbed her temples.

"Don't think of it like that Stripes." Wolverine disagreed. "This could be target practice for the New Mutants."

"Absolutely not!" Rogue shouted. "We are not going to be attacking these things before they attack us. If we move in on them now the government will see it as destroying their property. I don't want to give them a reason to attack us."

Magneto interjected. "Rogue the government is building weapons to hunt us; weapons are not built unless they intend to be used."

"Ummm….actually," Forge was cut short when Rogue stood up.

"We will not attack first, Professor Xavier wouldn't want it, and it goes against his philosophy."

Magneto stood up to. "Then what shall we do Rogue? Sit here idly twiddle our thumbs while we wait for Charles to find a diplomatic solution? Meanwhile our people will be hunted!"

Forge tried again. "Guys I think you're missing the-

"I'd bet my bike those Prowler's are going to be used when they introduce that Registration Act that senator's been pushing for." Logan interrupted Forge to give Magneto more ammo.

Forge nodded quickly. "Yes about him-

"Until they make the first move we will not attack!" Rogue said firmly.

"I believe we should attack now!" Magneto insisted.

"HELLO!" Forge yelled angrily. "What I've been trying to tell you people is that this Senator Creed does not have the authority to activate these Sentinels and Prowlers, and he did not obtain government money to fund this program, AND Creed never got the thumbs up from the government to even start this."

Silence echoed through the room, and tempers seemed to dies down…slightly. Though Forge's reveled information brought relief, both the arguing mutants still stood.

"Forge, are you saying the government knows nothing of this?" Rogue asked.

"Not that I can tell." He answered honestly as the pictures of the Prowlers disappeared into a folder on the giant screen.

"In that case, before jumping to conclusions maybe we should send a copy of this information to Professor Xavier where he can present this to congress." Rogue decided. Strom and Beast nodded in unison, good to know someone was on her side.

"And should the government do nothing?" Magneto asked.

Rogue sighed. Apparently he wasn't going to let this go easily.

"Right now the arguments in court are on live TV. The government has to do something, even if they don't care about mutants Creed is breaking the law by manufacturing deadly arms with intent to use said arms. If we can get the Professor to present this while it's live, the government won't have a choice but to hold Creed accountable for his actions."

"Should the government not shut down this mutant hunting manufacturing plant, what then will we do?" Magneto asked. Rogue sighed again. Damn him.

"We should wait first to see what course of action the government will take." Rogue stood firm.

"Have you considered that once this information is revealed to congress that all it takes is a phone call from Senator Creed to either speed up production and or activate these Sentinels?" Magneto asked.

"Then we should be monitoring the factory." Rogue reasoned. "And should production suddenly speed up we will have a _really_ good reason to blow the place up."

_'This isn't your decision to make alone girl. Professor Xavier's gone, and that means this decision belongs to all members of the cabinet, especially Prof.'s oldest friend.' _Rogue reasoned with herself.

"We could lay low and wait for now while we at the same time monitor the factory."

"Do you agree with that plan?" Rogue asked.

Magneto pressed his lips together tightly.

"Yes, that is what we will do." He finally agreed. Both Rogue and Magneto sat back down, indicating that their argument was over.

"In other news I've also de-coded the data taken from Essex's Lab." Forge hit more buttons and documents popped up on screen.

"It's not much use to us unless the X-Men decide they want to make clones. What you took was basically a manual on how to make the perfect clones complete with their very own obey-my-every-command -gene."

Beast studied the data carefully. "This could be useful if we want to find their weaknesses." He offered.

"Of course this is what we ended up with. We couldn't have gotten his diary or his future plans." Rogue said pessimistically.

"It's something Rogue." Wolverine reminded her.

"You know speaking of his clones we never ran into them at Essex's Lab." Rogue brought up. "Even though Magneto could feel their bio-fluid."

"So?" Forge asked.

"If he sent them away the second he realized we were there that implies he didn't want us to know or destroy the clones." Rogue tapped her index finger against her chin.

"Which implies that he is planning to do something with these clones, something of a large magnitude." Magneto finished Rogue's thought.

Confusion took Forge's face. "How do you know it's going to be something big?"

"Well think about it Forge, Essex is a genius scientist that would have no problem creating other clones if we destroyed the ones at the factory." Rogue started to explain.

"Exactly." Magneto agreed. "He's planning something. We should take a closer look at the data on the clones."

"Agreed." Beast said. "I will get to work on that immediately."

"Well I think that just about wraps up this session." Wolverine said as he stood. "I'll be in the garage if anyone needs me, Ororo it's your turn to babysit tonight."

Rogue grinned as she watched Logan walk out, probably to get a six pack of beer before going down to the garage.

"I'd best prepare dinner before the children start to complain." Storm said as she also left the room.

Rogue's attention returned to Forge, who was packing up his equipment before he left to go home.

"Thanks for the help Forge." Rogue said as she handed him his laptop.

"Hm? Oh, yeah anytime Rogue." He said as he took it gratefully from her.

"How are things with your parents?" Rogue ventured.

"Things are going well, their older than I remember but still the same mom and dad."

"Good to hear. Are you going back to school anytime soon?"

"Nah. My parents declared me legally dead ten years ago, and if I suddenly popped up looking the same as I did the day I disappeared people would asked questions. Can you image if I told them the truth?"

"Yeah, somehow I don't think getting stuck in a pocket dimension would be a believable story, even if it is the truth."

"Well if you have all that free time on your hands, maybe you should consider joining the X-Men." Rogue smiled at him warmly. "Professor X would be glad to have you, and you would have unlimited access to the best gadgets and toys the X-Men own."

That took Forge by surprise. "Join the X-Men? Are you serious?" He asked.

"Yeah, you would be a valued member. Train with us in the danger room, you know be amongst other mutants more often. The whole reason the institute was build was to help young mutants gain control, why not further your knowledge and skills? You're a good inventor Forge, but with training and the help from the greatest telepath on the planet you could be a great one, you could accomplish great things." Rogue hoped she sounded convincing.

"And I'm sure the Prof. would find a way for you to go back to school." She added.

"Well…" Forge considered it for several moments. "It would be nice to be around other mutants more often and to learn again..."

"There's no rush Forge." Rogue assured him quickly. "Why don't you talk it over with your parents, maybe bring them down to the institute, but you don't have to make a decision right now."

"Okay, thanks." He seemed a little more relaxed. "I will talk to them about it." Forge said as he paused at the door. "See you soon Rogue." He said as he left.

Rogue watched the open door for a few moments before going over to the computer where she pulled up tomorrow's danger room plans. It was meant to be an attack plan where a speedy drone would be the target. The student's mission was to hit the drone with a hit to miss ratio of at least 1:3. It was a simple simulation, but it was meant to test their patience and accuracy.

"That was an impressive argument for one that has just acquired the title of leader." A commanding voice with the slightest hint of a German accent said as an arm encircled her waist.

Rogue grinned. "You think so?" She asked. "Well I have a pretty good teacher." She reminded him.

Magneto smirked at the compliment. "That you do." He agreed as used his free hand to play with her hair.

Rogue tried her best to focus on the simulation and not on what he was doing to her. Suddenly the simulation plans closed themselves and the computer shut off.

"Erik!" Rogue chastised. "I was working on that."

"You've reviewed the simulation plans multiple times today Rogue, it wouldn't hurt to have a break." Magneto tried to persuade her. "You deserve a little reward after you made the offer to Forge."

Magneto's skillful hands moved to her neck and shoulder blades, firmly rubbing.

"Thank you." Rogue mumbled. It had been such a long time since she experienced this, felt really nice.

"You seem tense." Magneto stated as he continued to rub. "Did you dream of memories that didn't belong to you?" He asked, concerned.

"No." Rogue answered. "I just couldn't sleep well with Scott and Kurt's fragments nagging me every time I dozed off."

"The fragments have started speaking again? "

"Mmmhmm. Your power doesn't keep them in check forever. Eventually it fades over time. Actually I've been meaning to ask you if I could absorb you again."

Magneto stopped rubbing and turned her around to face him. Rogue pressed against him, letting her hand craw up to rest on his shoulder. Magneto cupped her cheek and pulled her as close as he could before kissing her.

_"You may absorb me anytime." _His thoughts told her. _"I would _never_ deny you the use of your gift."_

Magneto broke the kiss, but kept her body pressed against his. Rogue smiled as she felt his power. "Much better." She confirmed.

Magneto chuckled. "I'm glad. Rogue I was thinking and after our training session, one day, we could leave for the evening."

"Really?" Rogue asked as she let her hands move back and forth on his shoulders. "Where would we go?" She asked.

"I was considering taking you to see the Washington Memorial or the Statue of Liberty after I made you dinner."

"Sounds an awful lot like a date." She commented.

"Possibly because it will be."

"A date with Magneto doesn't sound so bad." Rogue grinned from ear to ear. "Maybe it'll actually be fun."

"Maybe?" He asked. "Yes and _maybe_ I won't become too irritated with you, though that itself would be a miracle."

Rogue wacked Magneto's shoulder lightly. "I was just playin' round Erik, no need to get all grumpy."

"You mistake seriousness with _"_being grumpy"as you put it."

Rogue stuck her tongue out at him.

"I've never seen you this childish Rogue." Magneto said as he tangled his hand in her hair.

"I wonder what's gotten into you." He mused to himself. "Could it be that you're happy? Would it be too foolish of me to assume this happiness is because of me?"

"Whatever." Rogue scoffed. "I'll see you later." She said as she squirmed out of his arms. Rogue did pause at the door though.

"How does Saturday night sound? We could leave around seven."

"Perfect." He answered. Rogue turned back towards the door, fully intent on walking out.  
Some persistent emotion though kept insisting she do something first. Quickly Rogue walked towards him and placed a quick kiss to his cheek. She barely absorbed him. Rogue turned slightly red at his knowing smirk before finally leaving.

* * *

Rogue had changed out of her uniform for dinner that was in less than ten minutes when Kitty walked knocked on her door.

"Come in." Rogue answered as she lay on her bed grinning, thinking of her scheduled date. _'I'm excited. I can't believe I'm actually excited. My reputation as the Ice Queen would take a nose dive if any of the New Mutants saw me like this.'_

"There you are Rogue; I've been looking all over." Kitty said as she closed the door.

"What's up Kit?"

Kitty sat nervously on the edge of Rogue's bed. She fiddled with the cotton of her sweater. "Look Rogue I don't know how to say this, but lately there has been a lot of talk about how much time you spend with Magneto."

That snapped Rogue out of her happy state. She turned to glare at her closest friend. "So? He's helping me with my powers, Kitty."

"Well yeah I know that but a little while ago Jubilee said she was walking past the conference room and saw you two all over each other. Like touching to where you couldn't get any closer."

Rogue pressed her hand to her face and inhaled, trying to think of what to say to her friend. The whole truth could come out now, or she could lie her ass off, or simply choose not to tell her anything. It's not like its Kitty's business in the first place. Who cares if they were touching? Who cares if they were pressed together? It's none of her business. Or Jubilee's with her big mouth, which has probably already blabbed to half the mansion. Nosy assholes.

"Look Kitty…

* * *

**Sorry about the cliff hanger! Thanks to everyone that told me my story wasn't going downhill, must just be paranoia getting to me, so nice to have support it really motivated me to write this chapter.**

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and will give me suggestions on what Rogue should tell Kitty.**

**RR Time:**

**Marigab: Thanks for your support! I'm having fun experimenting on Rogue and Erik's relationship but now I get to play with how other people will react to how close they've gotten, any suggestions?**

**Angelpaint07: Glad you liked the last chapter, Rogue did get what she deserved, and maybe she'll think twice next time.**

**Crystalstar1999: Thanks for your review!**

**Christa4ever: Thanks for your advice and reassurance it's really helped! I can't wait for your next update!**

**1983Sarah: Thanks for your review!**

**Ophelia193: Thanks for your support and I'll try to write Magneto as an arrogant bastard more often!**


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